There is no reason to give up.
Bridge Column for December 13, 2002, Harvey Bernstein
Neither side vulnerable.  North deals.
                              North
                              S: Void             
                              H: A 4 3       
                              D: A K 10 8 3 2 
                              C: A K 7 6 
            West                             East
            S: 8 5 4 2                       S: K Q 7 6 3    
            H: J 8 7                         H: K 9 6     
            D: 9 7 5                         D: Q 6 4             
            C: 9 8 5                         C: 10 2      
                              South                         
                              S: A J 10 2
                              H: Q 10 5 2   
                              D: J         
                              C: Q J 4 3  
          The Bidding:  
                  North    East    South    West                  
                   1D      Pass     1H      Pass
                   3C      Pass     3S      Pass
                   4H      Pass     4NT     Pass
                   5S      Pass     6H      Pass
                   Pass    Pass
     It is a well known fact that bidding errors often create the
best play problems.  Such was the case in today's hand.  At
South's second turn to bid, it would be appropriate to raise
clubs in most systems.  South was attempting to make an advanced
cue bid showing a good hand for clubs with the ace of spades. 
North thought that South had five hearts and four spades and a
good hand.
     South might have recovered after the blackwood sequence, but
he wasn't sure that North had a real club suit and bid the small
slam in hearts.  The opening lead was the five of clubs.
     South realized that he was in an inferior contract that
would need a lot of things to be right in order for him to come
to twelve tricks.  He could count one spade, four potential heart
tricks, two sure diamond tricks, and four club tricks, for a
total of eleven.  The diamond suit appeared to be the best
possible source of additional tricks.  With that in mind, he let
the club lead come around to the queen in his hand.  He may need
the clubs in the dummy as an entry to the diamonds.  A small
spade was trumped on the table and the ace of hearts was cashed.
     A small heart came next.  East could create a lot of tension
by ducking this trick, and I see no reason not to duck, but he
rose with the king.  Declarer played low as did West.  The club
return was won in hand with the jack and the queen of hearts
brought down the last outstanding trumps.  A diamond to the ace
and king was followed by a small diamond, trumped in the closed
hand.  When each defender had to follow to all three rounds of
diamonds, the long diamonds were established and the contract was
made.
     To be sure, both red suits had to behave in order for this
contract to succeed, but just because the odds are against you is
no reason not to try for the distribution that you need.
     A good rule to follow is that when a contract looks easy,
stop long enough to figure out what distribution can harm you and
play to prevent that from happening.  And when a contract looks
very weak, try to determine what distribution will allow it to
make and then play as if that distribution exists, because
sometimes, it will!
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Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon.