The diamonds are blocked.
Bridge Column for September 3, 2004, Harvey Bernstein
Special To The Plain Dealer
Both sides vulnerable.  West deals.
                    North
                    S: Q 7 6 4
                    H: 4
                    D: 10 9 8 7 4 3 
                    C: 10 6 

          West                East
          S: 8                S: J 9 2
          H: Q 10 9 7         H: A K 8 5 2 
          D: K 5              D: 6 2 
          C: K Q 9 8 7 2      C: J 5 4 


                    South
                    S: A K 10 5 3  
                    H: J 6 3  
                    D: A Q J   
                    C: A 3
   The Bidding:  

          West    North  East   South   
          Pass     Pass    1H     Dbl
          3D(1)    Pass    3H     3S 
          Pass      4S    Pass    Pass
          Pass
1. Limit raise for hearts.

     Thanks to Jim Bachelder of Columnbus for this hand from the
Silver Bowl Sectional Bridge Tournament held last month in Solon. 
Bachelder held the South cards and his partner, sitting North,
was Lloyd Loux of Westlake.
     The opening lead was the seven of hearts, won by East with
the king.  The four of clubs went to declarer's ace.  The ace of
spades was cashed and a heart was trumped in the dummy.  A small
diamond went to the queen, West winning the king.  
     West cashed the king of clubs and exited with the five of
diamonds.  Bachelder needed to win the rest of the tricks to make
his contract.  Here is the end position:
                    North
                    S: Q 7 
                    H: Void
                    D: 10 9 8 7  
                    C: Void 

          West                East
          S: Void             S: J 9  
          H: Q 10             H: A 8 5  
          D: Void             D: Void 
          C: Q 9 8 7          C: J  

                    South
                    S: K 10 5 3    
                    H: J      
                    D: J   
                    C: Void
     We can see the entire layout.  Bachelder was only looking at
the North-South cards.  If the spades were originally 2-2, he
could draw trump and trump his last heart with the remaining
spade in the dummy.  The odds, however, favored trump to break
3-1.  Going with the percentages, Bachelder led the jack of
hearts and trumped with the queen of spades.  The seven of spades
was called for.  East played the nine and declarer finessed the
ten.  West showed out and the game contract was fulfilled.  This
is just another example of a good player deciding how the cards
had to be in order for the contract to make, and then having the
courage to play for that position.  Well done!

     Unit 125 of the American Contract Bridge League hosted the
Silver Bowl Sectional Bridge Tournament from August 13-15 in
Solon.  Congratulations to the following players who were
successful in their respective events on August 15th.  Other
results were listed in previous columns.
     Flight A Swiss Teams (11 teams).  1.  Martin Baff, Beachwood
Laurie and Kenneth Kranyak, Bay Village, with Don and Kathleen
Sulgrove, Twinsburg.  2. Bob Bartko and Kermit Wolford, Aurora
with Jack and Vicki Goodykoontz, Morgantown, WV. 
     Flight B Swiss Teams (17 teams). 1. Tucker Marston and
Gordon Berry, Chagrin Falls, J. Lawniczak, Novelty , and Russell
Stambaugh, Gates Mills.  2. Marlene Zinamon, Beachwood, Victor
Vertes, Cleveland, Rosemarie Sanscrainte, Solon, and Audrey May,
Aurora.
     Flight C Swiss Teams (16 Teams).  1. Susan Conrad, Madison,
Lesley Green, Lakewood, Martha Wilk, Willoughby, and Helene
Weiss, Beachwood.  2.  Cathy Weber, Judy Kaye, Marilyn Doman, and
Robert Werner, Chagrin Falls.
_______________________________________________
Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon.