Finding the best defense.
Bridge Column for August 27, 2000, By HARVEY BERNSTEIN
Both sides vulnerable.  East deals.
                              NORTH
                              S: J 6 2            
                              H: Q 10 2      
                              D: 10 4     
                              C: J 9 7 4 3 
            WEST                             EAST
            S: K 9 8 7 5 4                   S: A 10         
            H: J 8 7 3                       H: K 6        
            D: 8 2                           D: A K 9 5 3         
            C: 5                             C: A K 10 6    
                              SOUTH                         
                              S: Q 3  
                              H: A 9 5 4    
                              D: Q J 7 6   
                              C: Q 8 2    
          The Bidding:
                     EAST    SOUTH    WEST    NORTH
                      1D      Pass     1S      Pass
                      3C      Pass     3S      Pass
                      4S      Pass    Pass     Pass
     The 72nd Summer North American Bridge Championships (NABC)
were held by the American Contact Bridge League in Anaheim, CA
from August 10-20.  This hand appeared in the daily bulletin from
Saturday, August 12, and featured Laurie Kranyak from Bay
Village.
     Kranyak and her partner collected 10 of the 11 matchpoints
available for their efforts on Board 10 during the tournament
opening Charity Pairs held the evening of August 10. 
     The auction suggests a heart lead, but North avoided that
and led a club instead.  This was an excellent start.  If the
defenders lead hearts from either seat, declarer would be able to
score a heart trick and make his contract.  If declarer is forced
to lead hearts, he will not win a trick in that suit.  
     Declarer won the ace of clubs and cashed the trump ace.
Kranyak followed with the queen!  When she followed with the
three on the next trick, a trump lead to the king, she certainly
had gained her partner's attention.  Declarer then cleared
tramps, putting North on lead.  On the third trump Kranyak played
a discouraging heart.  She knew the heart switch was imminent,
but she realized that it might cost a trick.
     Partner got the message and led a diamond instead.  Declarer
won in dummy and ruffed a club to get to his hand.  He too had
seen Kranyak's series of plays, but he really was left little
choice other that to hope for a favorable heart position.  He led
a heart to the king, but Kranyak won the ace and returned a heart
to partner's queen-ten to defeat the contract with three heart
tricks and a trump trick.
     This was an excellent example of partnership cooperation.
Kranyak had information her partner needed and was able to convey
it with a combination of plays.  She knew the clubs and diamonds
wouldn't run, and she had a heart holding that was not conducive
to partner's breaking the suit.
_________________________________________________________________