If you bid-them-up, you have to play-them-up.
Bridge Column for December 19, 2003, Harvey Bernstein
East-West vulnerable.  South deals.
                              North
                              S: A K 7 6 5 4      
                              H: 6           
                              D: A 9         
                              C: A Q 6 4 
            West                             East
            S: Q 10 9 8 2                    S: J 3          
            H: Q 3                           H: K 10 7 2   
            D: 8 7 5 4 2                     D: K J 10 3          
            C: 8                             C: K 10 2      
                              South                         
                              S: Void 
                              H: A J 9 8 5 4 
                              D: Q 6       
                              C: J 9 7 5 3
          The Bidding:  
                  South    West    North    East                  
                   1H      Pass     1S      Pass
                   2C      Pass     2D      Pass
                   3C      Pass     4NT     Pass
                   5D      Pass     6C      Pass
                   Pass    Pass
     Many players will disagree with South's opening bid, but
aside from that, there is only one opening lead that will defeat
six clubs, and West did not find it.  If West places the eight of
clubs on the table, declarer will always fall short, no matter
how he plays.  West, however, led the other black eight and
declarer had a chance.  
     The two top spades allowed declarer to pitch a diamond and a
heart while both defenders followed suit.  The ace of diamonds
was followed by the nine of diamonds, trumped low in the closed
hand, while again, both defenders followed suit.  Two hearts were
trumped in dummy and two spade were trumped in hand, leaving this
position: 
                              North
                              S: 7 6       
                              H: Void           
                              D: Void         
                              C: A Q  
            West                             East
            S: Q                             S: Void         
            H: Void                          H: Void       
            D: 8 7                           D: K                 
            C: 8                             C: K 10 2      
                              South                         
                              S: Void 
                              H: J 9       
                              D: Void       
                              C: J 9
     With the lead in the South hand, declarer plays a heart. 
West discards a spade and dummy trumps with the ace of clubs. 
East discards the king of diamonds.  The seven of spades ends the
mystery.  If East trumps with the king, declarer discards a
heart.  If East trumps with a low club, declarer trumps with a
higher trump and then leads a heart, trumping with the queen of
clubs.  In any case, the defense only scores the king of clubs.  
_______________________________________________________
Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon.