Bridge Column for December 12, 1993 
Both sides vulnerable.  North deals.
                              NORTH
                              S: 7 3   
                              H: Q 10     
                              D: K 10 9 6 4  
                              C: A 7 5 2
            WEST                             EAST
            S: 8 4 2                         S: 9 6          
            H: K 9 5 4                       H: A 8 7 2       
            D: A 8 7                         D: J 5 3             
            C: Q J 3                         C: 10 9 6 4    
                              SOUTH                         
                              S: A K Q J 10 5
                              H: J 6 3     
                              D: Q 2     
                              C: K 8      

                  SOUTH    WEST    NORTH    EAST                  
                                    Pass    Pass
                   1S      Pass     2D      Pass
                   3H      Pass     3NT     Pass
                   4S      Pass     Pass    Pass
     Duplicate bridge (with match point scoring), is a completely
different game than any form of bridge you may ever play.  Many
very good players wonder why they don't get better results at a
duplicate tournament.  The reason is that they don't understand
this difference.  
     This hand is an excellent example.  The final contract will
be three no trump or four spades.  Scoring ten tricks in a spade
contract will give declarer a score of +620.  Most declarers at
three no trump will score nine tricks for +600, and some will
pick up an extra trick for +630.  At virtually any type of
scoring except match point duplicate, the score that you get here
will have little or no effect on your final result, so long as
you reach a game contract and make it.
     At match point duplicate, however, +630 is going to be a far
superior result.  The North-South pair will receive one match
point for each of the other North-South pairs that have a   
lower score, and one half of one match point for each of the
other pairs that have a tie score.
     As tournament players gain experience and "style", they find
new and unusual ways of attempting to get the "ultimate" result
on each and every deal.  Mort Pierce of Chagrin Falls sat South
on this deal.  After North was able to show ten points in support
of his opening bid, Pierce knew that he wanted four spades to be
the final contract.  Many players would simply jump to the spade
game, but Pierce reasoned that it couldn't hurt to muddy the
water for the defenders on the way to the contract that he wanted
to be in.  His jump shift to three hearts was a natural bid so
far as everyone else was concerned.  Partner responded three no
trump and Pierce completed the sequence by bidding four spades.
     It was up to West to find an opening lead.  While a heart
lead may have been normal against a no trump contract or a spade
contract that was reached with ordinary bidding, it did not look
safe now.  After much thought, West decided to lead a spade. 
Declarer won the ten and immediately led the queen of diamonds. 
West won the ace and again had to decide how to defend.  With no
more information than when he started, he continued with another
spade.  Pierce won this trick.  Drew the last trump.  Led a
diamond to the king and ruffed a diamond.  When the outstanding
diamonds both fell on this trick, the dummy was reentered with
the ace of clubs and the two good diamonds provided him with two
heart discards.  This line of play was worth eleven tricks and a
great match point score.
     Pierce had to know how to play bridge, and he also had to
understand the difference that match point scoring made to the
game.  So keep your eyes and ears open and think ahead.  Every
once in a while an opportunity to scare up a couple of extra
match points will present itself, and you have to be ready.