Watch your entries.
Bridge Column for May 30, 2003, Harvey Bernstein
East-West vulnerable.  North deals.
                              North
                              S: J 10             
                              H: A Q 6 5 3   
                              D: K 6 3       
                              C: K 5 4   
            West                             East
            S: 6 4 3                         S: 5 2          
            H: 10 8                          H: K J 9 2    
            D: Q 9 8 5                       D: 10 7 2            
            C: Q J 10 9                      C: A 7 6 2     
                              South                         
                              S: A K Q 9 8 7 
                              H: 7 4        
                              D: A J 4     
                              C: 8 3      
          The Bidding:  
                  North    East    South    West                  
                   1H      Pass     1S      Pass
                   1NT     Pass     3S      Pass
                   4S      Pass     Pass    Pass
     I would suggest that South bid three diamonds at his second
turn.  North would then bid three no trump and nine tricks would
be unbeatable.  Of course, there would be nothing to write about,
either.
     The opening lead was the queen of clubs which was ducked all
around.  The jack of clubs also held and the third club was
trumped in the closed hand.  South took the heart finesse, losing
to East, who returned the two of diamonds.
     South thought long and hard and played the jack.  West
covered and the trick was won in the dummy.  Trump was drawn in
three rounds and in the fullness of time, a diamond was lost for
down one.  
     South apologized and added that the contract would have made
if only the diamond queen had been with East.  North was quiet,
but was also well aware that the queen of diamonds had nothing to
do with the result.
     South should win the diamond return with the ace and play a
heart to the ace.  A small heart is trumped with a high spade.  A
small trump is played to the dummy and another heart is trumped. 
Declarer finishes drawing trump and uses the king of diamonds as
his entry to reach the fifth heart, now established as the
contract fulfilling trick.  Declarer scores six spade tricks, two
diamond tricks, and two heart tricks for a total of ten.  
     It is so much nicer to not have to apologize for the poor
placement of the cards.
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Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon.