North-South vulnerable.  
South deals.
                              NORTH
                              S: Q 9 5 2          
                              H: A 6 5       
                              D: 7           
                              C: K 10 7 5 2
            WEST                             EAST
            S: 10 4                          S: K 8 7 3      
            H: 8 7 3                         H: J 10 2     
            D: A K 10 8 6 4 3                D: Q J 9 2           
            C: 9                             C: J 6         
                              SOUTH                         
                              S: A J 6
                              H: K Q 9 4    
                              D: 5         
                              C: A Q 8 4 3
          The Bidding:
                  SOUTH    WEST    NORTH    EAST                  
                   1C       3D      4C      Pass
                   4D     Double    4H      Pass
                   4S      Pass     5D     Double
                   6C      Pass     Pass    Pass
	Opening Lead: KD
     If you look at any two hands to attempt to assess the most
desirable contract, the decision often hinges on the presence of
a specific ten, nine, or even eight.  Sophisticated, ultra modern 
bidding systems, which on occasion pinpoint the location of
jacks, cannot solve such problems.  Bidding is not an exact
science.  There is always some deeper analysis and evaluation
necessary to reach the best contract.
     Take the hand shown in today's diagram.  West led the king
of diamonds and declarer was nowhere near as optimistic about the
prospects of this slam as he had been during the auction.  It
would appear that both North and South had over rated the value
of a singleton diamond.  Had declarer or dummy held the ten of
spades the contract would have rated to be a fifty per cent try. 
As it worked out, the lack of the eight of spades proved to be
very significant.
     West won the first trick and shifted to a heart.  South won,
drew trumps in two rounds and played on hearts.  When the
outstanding hearts divided evenly, declarer knew that West,
likely to have seven diamonds from the bidding, also held three
hearts and only one club.  This left room for two spades.  South
crossed to dummy with a club and led the queen of spades, forcing
East to cover with the king.  The ace won and South played the
jack of spades which smothered the ten to bring home the small
slam.
     South was lucky that he did not have the eight of spades. 
With that card he would have been able to play East for the king
and the ten.  While this play would be statistically superior to
attempting to drop the doubleton ten of spades, it would fail and
the contract would have been defeated.
________________________________________________________________