Learn to plan the play.
Bridge Column for August 13, 2000, By HARVEY BERNSTEIN
Neither side vulnerable.  North deals.
                              NORTH
                              S: K 3          
                              H: A J 10 5 2  
                              D: K Q J 6     
                              C: J 6 
            WEST                             EAST
            S: Q 7                           S: J 10 9 5     
            H: Q 7 4                         H: K 9 8 6    
            D: 10 9 8 7 2                    D: 4 3               
            C: K 4 2                         C: A 7 5       
                              SOUTH                         
                              S: A 8 6 4 2
                              H: 3          
                              D: A 5       
                              C: Q 10 9 8 3
          The Bidding://
                  NORTH    EAST    SOUTH    WEST                  
                   1H      Pass     1S      Pass
                   2D      Pass     2NT     Pass
                   3NT     Pass     Pass    Pass
                   
     With only ten points, South has a problem at his second turn
to bid.  While he would like to say three clubs, a new suit at
the three level is forcing and he just doesn't have enough to
take that action.  Two no trump is the only logical alternative
and North is happy to raise to three.
     West makes the natural lead of the ten of diamonds. 
Declarer has seven top tricks and correctly decides that his best
source of additional tricks is the club suit.  To that end he
wins the first trick in hand with the ace and leads a club to the
jack.
     East declines to win this trick and all of a sudden declarer
finds himself in trouble.  He plays another club, won by West who
continues with a diamond.  Declarer wins in dummy and while he
has an entry to his hand to lead clubs once more and set the suit
up, he can never get back to it.
     The error was made at trick one.  When declarer decides that
clubs is the suit he is going to work on, he must safeguard the
entries to the closed hand.  Win the first trick in dummy and
play the jack of clubs.  The defense will duck but to no avail. 
Another club goes to the king and the diamond return is captured
with the ace.  A third club drives out the last defensive stopper
in that suit and declarer still has the ace of spades to be able
to enjoy the long clubs.
     Keep in mind that you do not have to be a world champion to
make this play, you only have to be alert to all of the
possibilities before you play to the first trick.
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