The opening lead can make a difference.
Bridge Column for April 8, 2005, Harvey Bernstein
Special To The Plain Dealer
Neither side vulnerable.  West deals.
                              North
                              S: K J 7 6          
                              H: A K 8 7     
                              D: J 5         
                              C: 8 6 3   
            West                             East
            S: 10 4                          S: 8            
            H: J 4                           H: Q 9 6 5 2  
            D: K Q 6 3 2                     D: 9 8 7 4            
            C: A K 7 2                       C: J 10 4     
                              South                         
                              S: A Q 9 5 3 2 
                              H: 10 3       
                              D: A 10      
                              C: Q 9 2    
          The Bidding:  
                   West   North     East   South                  
                    1D     Dbl      Pass    4S  
                   Pass    Pass     Pass
     This hand was played during a session of on-line bridge. 
Bridge Base Online not only allows players to play bridge 24
hours a day but it also provides a method to go back and review
the results of all of the tables that played any given hand. 
This is an excellent way to study your errors and improve your
game.
     On this particular hand, many pairs made four spades but
many pairs were down one as well.  The difference turned out to
be the opening lead.  At the tables were the contract was made,
West opened a top club and then continued clubs, allowing
declarer to score the queen, which proved to be the tenth trick. 
When four spades was defeated, West did not lead a club.  In one
of those cases, the lead was the king of diamonds.  Declarer drew
trumps and played on clubs, losing three clubs and a diamond.  
     None of the declarers found the winning line against the
diamond lead.  South should win the ace of diamonds, draw trumps
in two rounds, cash the high hearts and then trump a heart.  Re-
enter dummy with a spade and trump another heart.  The end
position looks like this:
                              North
                              S: K             
                              H: Void        
                              D: J           
                              C: 8 6 3   
            West                             East
            S: Void                          S: Void         
            H: Void                          H: Q          
            D: Q 6                           D: J 10              
            C: A K 7                         C: 9 8         
                              South                         
                              S: 9 5     
                              H: Void       
                              D: 10      
                              C: Q 9 2 
     Declarer knows that West holds the queen of diamonds, or at
least, should.  It is a simple matter to exit with a diamond and
put West in the unenviable position of breaking clubs or leading
his last diamond, allowing declarer to trump in one hand and
discard a club from the other, making ten tricks.
     Sign up for free access to Bridge Base Online by going to
www.bridgebase.com and following the simple instructions.  You
will be amazed at the resources available through this web site
at absolutely no charge. 

     The Spring North American Bridge Championships were held in
Pittsburgh, PA from March 10 - 20.  Congratulations to all of the
area players who enjoyed success at this tournament.  More
results will appear in subsequent columns.

     March 10.  Don and Kathleen Sulgrove of Twinsburg were 15th
in Flight A of the North American Open Pairs.

     March 11.  Hao Ge of Cleveland and his partner were third in
Flight A of the morning side game.  Harry Essig of Westlake and
Sharon Bushman of Strongsville were 4th in Flight A of the
afternoon side game.  Judith Rolnicki of Brunswick and her
partner were tied for 3rd in Flight B of the afternoon 49er
pairs.  Angela Strainic of Mentor and Lesley Green of Lakewood
were 3rd and Donald and Katy Moyer of Silver Lake were 5th in
Flight C of the evening side game.  Julia Allen of Willoughby was
a member of the team that finished 4th in Flight B of the evening
Swiss teams.
______________________________________________________
Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon. 
To reach Harvey Bernstein:
hjb19@adelphia.net