Find the best play.
Bridge Column for March 4, 2001, By HARVEY BERNSTEIN
Neither side vulnerable.  South deals.
                              NORTH
                              S: K 5 4 3          
                              H: K 10 4 2    
                              D: A 3         
                              C: 9 6 4   
            WEST                             EAST
            S: A 9 6                         S: Q J 10 8 7 2 
            H: 6 2                           H: 9 3        
            D: Q J 10 5 2                    D: 7 4               
            C: Q 10 5                        C: J 7 2       
                              SOUTH                         
                              S: Void 
                              H: A Q J 8 7  
                              D: K 10 8 6  
                              C: A K 8 3  
          The Bidding://
                  SOUTH    WEST    NORTH    EAST                  
                   1H      Pass     1S      Pass
                   2D      Pass     3H      Pass
                   4NT     Pass     5D      Pass
                   6H      Pass     Pass    Pass
     You find yourself in what appears to be a pretty good small
slam and West leads the queen of diamonds.  Before you play to
trick one, cover the East-West cards and determine what your line
of play should be.
     Looking at all four hands, your twelve tricks will consist
of two diamonds, three clubs, five hearts in the South hand and
two long trump tricks in the North hand.  In the actual play, you
have to deal with many potential traps;  hearts could divide 3-1,
diamonds could divide 5-2, and clubs could divide 4-2.  You could
play for a dummy reversal, but for this to work, the ace of
spades would have to fall third, which, while unlikely, works.
     I believe that the correct play is to win the first diamond
in the dummy with the ace and play a small heart to the ace. 
Play the ace and king of clubs and breath a little easier when
both defenders follow.  The king of diamonds comes next and
again, both defenders follow.  
     Here is the key play.  Lead a low diamond and play the
remaining club from dummy.  West wins and East must make a
discard.  If he pitches a club, you know that there is only one
more club out against you and you can trump a club high in dummy,
return to hand and trump your last diamond high in dummy, draw
the outstanding trump and claim.  If East discards a spade, you
will have to be a little more careful.  West does best to return
a diamond.  You trump high.  A spade is trumped as the entry to
the closed hand.  You lead a club.  West follows so you trump
high again.  East follows and you now draw the outstanding trump
and claim.
     This "loser on loser" play allows you to determine how to
continue while limiting your exposure to adverse distribution. 
It only requires that each defender hold at least two cards in
each minor suit. 
_______________________________________________________
Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon.