Bridge Column for November 08, 1992 
Dealer: North
Vulnerable: Both
                              NORTH
                              S: A Q 7
                              H: 8 4 3 2    
                              D: 2          
                              C: A K Q 7 3  
            WEST                             EAST
            S: K 6 4                         S: 10 8 2
            H: K 6                           H: 10 7       
            D: J 10 7 5                      D: K Q 9 6 3         
            C: 9 6 4 2                       C: J 8 5      
                              SOUTH                          
                              S: J 9 5 3
                              H: A Q J 9 5
                              D: A 8 4 
                              C: 10         

                 NORTH   EAST    SOUTH    WEST                    
                   1C    PASS      1H     PASS
                   3H    PASS      4D     PASS 
                   4S    PASS      4NT    PASS
                   5H    PASS      6H     PASS
                  PASS   PASS 
                       
     This hand came up at a local duplicate game.  The North-
South pair were using standard bidding agreements.  The one club
opening and one heart response need no explanation.  North now
reevaluates his holding in light of South's bid.  His hand is
worth 19 or 20 playing points in support of hearts and it might
be right to jump to four hearts, except that the heart holding in 
the North hand is so weak, and South may not have more than four
little hearts for his bid.
     With this thought in mind, North jumps to three hearts. 
South has, in fact, a fine heart holding and now makes an
excellent bid by cue bidding the ace of diamonds on the way to
the heart game.  This guarantees additional values and suggests
the possibility of slam.  North has been conservative up to now
and is willing to cooperate with South's search for slam by
bidding four spades showing that ace.  Four no trump is the
Blackwood convention and the five heart response shows two aces. 
South, having verified controls in all four suits, bids the small
slam.
     The opening lead was the jack of diamonds and the play was
as pretty as the bidding.  Declarer won the ace of diamonds and
ruffed a diamond to gain entry to the North hand so a trump could
be led toward the South holding.  East followed low and South
finessed the heart queen, losing to the king.  West now returned
the six of hearts which was won in the South hand.  The ten of
clubs was led to the ace, and the king and queen of clubs were
played, allowing South to discard low spades.  The three of clubs
was trumped in the South hand, the eight of diamonds was trumped
in the North hand and the seven of clubs provided a resting place
for another low spade.  
     In all, declarer won four club tricks, the ace of diamonds,
the ace of spades, four hearts in the South hand and two diamond
ruffs in the North hand for a total of twelve.  A "picture
perfect" result.  Declarer was able to make his contract while
carefully avoiding the spade finesse.  The line of play selected
increased the odds of success without endangering the contract.