Bridge Column for October 23, 1994 
North-South vulnerable.  North deals.
                              NORTH
                              S: K 10 3           
                              H: 6 2         
                              D: K Q 10 5 4  
                              C: K 7     
            WEST                             EAST
            S: 9 6 2                         S: J 7 5        
            H: A K J 4 3                     H: Q 10 9 8 5 
            D: 3                             D: J 6               
            C: A 6 5 3                       C: Q J 10 9    
                              SOUTH                         
                              S: A Q 8 4 
                              H: 7          
                              D: A 9 8 7 2
                              C: 8 4 2    
                  NORTH    EAST    SOUTH    WEST                  
                   1D      Pass     1S      Pass
                   2S      Pass     4S      Pass
                   Pass    Pass
     Pat Chisholm of Lakewood and Roger Tiktin of Cleveland
traveled to Fort Wayne, IN to play in the Fall Festival Regional
Bridge Tournament which ran from September 28th to October 2nd.
     The hand shown above was played on Friday, September 30, in
the Stratified Open Pairs.  
     The safest available game contract is five diamonds.  After
trumps are drawn, a club can be pitched on the long spade and two
club ruffs bring home the contract.  Four spades, on the other
hand, requires a friendly distribution of the spade suit as well
as finding the ace of clubs with West, since a club trick will be
needed to fulfill the game.  
     West led the king of hearts against the spade contract. 
This held the first trick and West continued with the ace of
hearts.  Tiktin, sitting South, realized that it would do him no
good to ruff this trick, and so discarded a small club.  If West
continues with a heart South will be able to ruff with the three
of spades in the North hand and pitch another club from the South
hand.  West decided to cash the ace of clubs.  While Tiktin was
going to have to play him for that card, a lot of perspiration
was saved and the contract was made when spades broke evenly.  
     This is a good example of taking a small risk because of the
type of game you are involved in.  At rubber bridge or team
competition with International Match Point (IMP) scoring, five
diamonds would be the contract of choice.  You would make eleven
tricks against virtually any defense for a score of plus six
hundred.  
     The spade game only requires you to take ten tricks.  If you
can do this, you will gain a score of plus six hundred twenty. 
The difference in IMP comparison would equate to one IMP, hardly
worth the risk of going down.  But at matchpoint duplicate you
will more than likely earn a top score or near top for your
efforts.  Tiktin and Chisholm did earn a top on this hand and at
the end of the second session found themselves all alone in first
place, more than a half of a board ahead of the second place
pair.  They are to be congratulated for their excellent showing.