Make the right play.
Bridge Column for August 6, 2000, By HARVEY BERNSTEIN
Neither side vulnerable.  East deals.
                              NORTH
                              S: J                
                              H: J 10 7 2    
                              D: 6 2         
                              C: K Q 9 8 5 2
            WEST                             EAST
            S: K Q 10 5 3 2                  S: 9 7 6        
            H: 9 8                           H: 4 3        
            D: K J 10 4                      D: 9 7 3             
            C: J                             C: 10 7 6 4 3  
                              SOUTH                         
                              S: A 8 4
                              H: A K Q 6 5  
                              D: A Q 8 5   
                              C: A        
          The Bidding://
                   EAST   SOUTH     WEST   NORTH                  
                   Pass    2C        3H     Pass
                    3S     3NT      Pass    6C  
                   Pass    Pass     Pass
     If you are one of those readers who examines the hand and
the bidding before you read the column, let me assure you, there
are no "typos" in the auction.  The North-South partnership were
playing "weak two bids" which means that two clubs is the only
strong, forcing, opening bid.
     West's three heart call was alerted by East and when asked,
he explained that is was a transfer to three spades.  This bid is
known as a "transfer pre-empt".  The reasoning behind this
convention is in the event East-West buy the contract, the hand
with the long trump suit will be the dummy, which makes the
defense more difficult.  It has the added advantage of being
somewhat confusing to the opposition.
     At any rate, North passed and East made the bid he was
obligated to make.  South may have been better off passing the
auction back around to North, but he decided that with 23 high
card points and all four aces, he would bid three no trump.
     The player in the North seat, thinking that the worst club
holding South could have would be the doubleton ace, bid six
clubs, which ended the auction.
     The opening lead was the king of spades, and if South was
upset when the dummy came down, he didn't give it away.  It was
very obvious that six hearts (or even seven) would be a much
better contract. But South was stuck in six clubs and if he made
it, other players would have to actually get to the heart slam to
do better.
     The spade lead was won with the ace and the ace of clubs was
cashed.  Declarer took note of the jack of clubs falling from the
West hand.  A small heart was led to the jack and the king and
queen of clubs were played.  East showed out and declarer
discarded little diamonds.
     The nine of clubs drove out the ten and East returned a
spade.  Declarer won this trick with the five of clubs in dummy
and played the eight of clubs, drawing the last outstanding
trump.  In all he scored five clubs, five hearts, a spade and a
diamond, making six for a score of plus 920.
     In the actual scoring, bidding and making six clubs was a
near top result as many pairs did not reach any slam because of
interference from the opponents.  The lesson is very simple, of
course, in order to be a success at this game, you have to focus
on the problem at hand and not concern yourself with what might
have been.
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