Find the right play.
Bridge Column for January 21, 2001, By HARVEY BERNSTEIN
North-South vulnerable.  East deals.
                              NORTH
                              S: K 6 2            
                              H: A K J 4 3   
                              D: 10 6 2      
                              C: 7 3     
            WEST                             EAST
            S: J                             S: 10 9 8 5 
            H: 9 8 7 5 2                     H: 10         
            D: A K Q                         D: J 8 7 5 4         
            C: K 10 9 4                      C: J 6 5      
                              SOUTH                         
                              S: A Q 7 4 3 
                              H: Q 6        
                              D: 9 3   
                              C: A Q 8 2  
          The Bidding://
                   EAST   NORTH     WEST   SOUTH                  
                   Pass    1S       Pass    2H  

                   Pass    3C       Pass    4S  
                   Pass    Pass     Pass
     West started the defense off with three rounds of diamonds. 
Declarer trumped the third diamond and led a spade to the king. 
When West played the jack, what appeared to be a fairly easy hand
became difficult.
     Of course, West could have been false carding from any
holding in the spade suit, including jack-ten-nine, but you won't
get far by ignoring the cards played by the opponents.  So let's
assume that West holds a singleton spade.  If you attempt to play
three rounds of spades, East will win the last spade and cash two
good diamonds.
     You have alread lost two diamond tricks.  If you take the
club finesse and it loses, you are down one.  Your plan is to be
able to draw trump and run hearts for club discards.
     Can you see the solution?  It is a play that is often
overlooked.  Play a small spade from the dummy and when East
plays one of the ten, nine, or eight, duck this trick.  If East
returns a diamond you can trump in dummy, perserving your spade
holding to finish extracting trumps.
     East best return is a small club.  You should win the ace
and play the ace and queen of spades.                             
                              NORTH
                              S: Void              
                              H: A K J 4 3   
                              D: Void        
                              C: 7       
            WEST                             EAST
            S: Void                          S: 10       
            H: 9 8 7 5 2                     H: 10         
            D: Void                          D: J 8               
            C: K                             C: J 6        
                              SOUTH                         
                              S: Q         
                              H: Q 6        
                              D: Void  
                              C: Q 8 2  
     While it is true that hearts do not divide well, West has a
great deal of trouble in the six card ending.  In order to retain
the king of clubs, he has to discard a heart when you play the
last spade.  In all, you score four spades, five hearts, and the
ace of clubs.
     Remember that declarer's advantage is to be able to view all
of the offensive assets and to be able to time the play.  Learn
to lose the tricks that you have to lose when it is to your
advantage to do so and your game will improve rapidly.
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