Executing a "strip and end play".
Bridge Column for October 17, 2003, Harvey Bernstein
Both sides vulnerable.  East deals.
                              North
                              S: 9    
                              H: A K        
                              D: A K Q 9 8 4 3                    
                              C: K 7 6    
 
            West                             East
            S: 10 6 5 4 3                    S: K Q 8 2      
            H: J 10 8                        H: Q 9 5 4 2  
            D: 7 5                           D: Void              
            C: 10 4 3                        C: A Q J 2     
                              South                         
                              S: A J 7            
                              H: 7 6 3       
                              D: J 10 6 2    
                              C: 9 8 5   
          The Bidding:  
                   East   South     West   North                  
                    1H     Pass     Pass    Dbl 
                   Pass     2D       2H     4NT 
                   Pass     5D      Pass    Pass
                   Pass
     Place yourself in the North position and try not to look at
the other hands.  The competition is rubber bridge.  Your left-
hand opponent opens the bidding with one heart and both your
partner and your right hand opponent pass.  How are you going to
deal with this hand?
     You start by making an off-shape take out double.  East
passes and partner responds by bidding two diamonds.  You would
like to bid two hearts at this point but West uses that bid
before you get a chance to say anything.  Three no trump is an
alternative, but the singleton spade seems to be shouting at you.
     Four no trump is the Blackwood convention.  When South shows
only one ace it is easy for you to pass and hope for the best.
     As it turns out, three no trump from your side would have
been unbeatable.  The opening lead is the jack of hearts and you
place your hand on the table - South was the first to bid
diamonds.  
     Declarer wins the ace of hearts and cashes the king.  Next,
a spade to the ace is followed by a small spade, trumped with the
ace of diamonds.  The nine of diamonds to the jack allows
declarer to lead another spade, trumped on the table with a high
diamond.  
     The eight of diamonds to the ten draws the last outstanding
trump and is the entry to the closed hand.  A heart is called for
and trumped high by dummy.  Spades and hearts have been
eliminated.  Declarer calls for the well preserved three of
diamonds and overtakes with the six.  The five of clubs is placed
on the table.  West, who had been doing he best to follow suit,
plays low.  A low club is played from the dummy and East must
win.  At this point the player in the East seat is end-played.
     Could West have helped by playing the ten of clubs?  Maybe,
but East would have had to discard properly so that he could
allow West to win the trick.  Once again, the odds favor the
declarer who gets to see all of his sides assets.
_______________________________________________________
Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon.