Good timing could improve your results.
Bridge Column for December 26, 2003, Harvey Bernstein
East-West vulnerable.  South deals.
                              North
                              S: A K 10           
                              H: J 9 7 2     
                              D: 6           
                              C: K J 8 6 2 
            West                             East
            S: 8 7 3                         S: Q 2  
            H: Q 8                           H: K 10 6 3   
            D: A K J                         D: 10 8 7 5 4 3      
            C: 9 7 5 4 3                     C: 10          
                              South                         
                              S: J 9 6 5 4 
                              H: A 5 4      
                              D: Q 9 2     
                              C: A Q      
          The Bidding:  
                  South    West    North    East                  
                   1S      Pass     2C      Pass
                   2NT     Pass     4S      Pass
                   Pass    Pass
     After a very normal auction, South finds himself in what
appears to be a very good four spade contract.  West leads the
king of diamonds and East plays the three. West shifts to the
seven of clubs and South wins the ace.  If the declarer senses
some danger in the wind, he should play the top two spades and
when the queen falls, make eleven tricks.  Even if the queen does
not fall, he should be able to make ten tricks anytime the spades
divide 3-2.
     If the spades don't behave, this hand could become
difficult.  There are two potential heart losers and a possible
lack of entries to the long club tricks after the top spades are
used to draw trump.  
     Declarer decided to trump a diamond with the ten of spades. 
He then tried to return to the closed hand by leading a club to
the queen.  East trumped and led the six of hearts.  Declarer
played low and West won the queen.  A club lead allowed East to
score his queen of spades, defeating the contract.
     He had the right idea but the timing was wrong.  At trick
three, a spade to the ace and then the king will find the queen
sitting correctly.  Even if the queen is still out, using it to
trump the club queen will leave the ten of spades alive as an
entry to two more club tricks.  
     It pays to be careful, but it pays better when you draw
trump.      
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Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon.