Bridge Column for February 18, 2001, By HARVEY BERNSTEIN
Neither side vulnerable.  South deals.
                              NORTH
                              S: 4 2              
                              H: 8 4 2       
                              D: 9 8 5 4     
                              C: A Q 5 2 
            WEST                             EAST
            S: Q 9 7 5                       S: A J 8 3      
            H: K J 10 6                      H: Q 7 5 3    
            D: K Q 7                         D: Void              
            C: J 8                           C: 10 7 6 4 3  
                              SOUTH                         
                              S: K 10 6 
                              H: A 9        
                              D: A J 10 6 3 2
                              C: K 9      
          The Bidding://
                  SOUTH    WEST    NORTH    EAST                  
                   1D     Double    2D       2S 
                   3D      Pass     Pass     3S 
                   4D     Double    Pass    Pass
                   Pass
     This hand came up during the Flight A Pairs at the sectional
tournament held in Solon earlier this month.  I held the North
cards and was able to watch my partner, Mort Pierce of Chagrin
Falls, earn a very nice result by making this doubled contract.
     East could have made a better call at his first opportunity. 
With a diamond void he could easily evaluate his hand as being
worth ten points and bid three diamonds at his first opportunity. 
Pierce would still bid four diamonds, but West would probably bid
four hearts (which does not make) instead of doubling four
diamonds (which does make).
     West led a small spade, based on his partner's bid.  East
won the ace and returned a spade which Pierce won with the king. 
The ten of spades was trumped in the dummy and the nine of
diamonds was called for.  East discarded a club.  Pierce played
the ace of diamonds and then played the king of clubs.  Both
defenders followed.  A second club was played to the ace.  West
played the jack of clubs and East played the seven.  The queen of
clubs provided Pierce with a heart discard.  West could trump
this trick or not, it wasn't going to matter.  All the defense
could muster was two trump tricks and the ace of spades.  
     Plus 510 was an excellent matchpoint result.  Had the East-
West pair bid four of a major, they would probably be defeated
two tricks, which, even doubled, would produce a better score.
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Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon.