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Bridge 12/07
Every two months, events and help
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    Australian Bridge is published in a large-page format every two months. Editors Paul Marston and Brad Coles blend tournament reports with instructive articles and a bidding panel.
    This deal, provided by Marston, would trip up inexperienced players — although some would not notice their error because West would later misdefend, giving the contract back to declarer.
You are South, in three no-trump. West leads the spade four: three, six, ... ? How would you plan the play?
    North's Stayman sequence showed four spades, so West's lead was wrong! He should have selected the diamond three — and ruined the story.
    You start with five top tricks: one spade (trick one), two hearts and two diamonds. Obviously, you will play on clubs to establish four more winners. But assuming the defender with the club ace learned the game more than five minutes ago, he will know to hold up his ace until the second (or third) round of the suit. So you will need a dummy entry to reach those club winners. What is your entry? It can come only from spades. To ensure this, take the first trick with your spade king, not the knee-jerk nine. Then play on clubs, starting with your king.
    At the table, South scored a cheap trick one with his spade nine. West held up his club ace until the second round, then shifted to a diamond. South won and tried a low spade, but West won with his ace and played a high diamond, leaving dummy dead and declarer doomed.
    Full details are available at www.australianbridge.com.
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