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Bridge 4/10
Another chance for the defense
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Mark Twain said, "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education."
    Bridge players have learned that interfering with the opponents' auction is often beneficial. In this deal, West's overcall pushes North-South from a contract they would have made into one that could be defeated — a situation devoutly to be desired by the defense.
    If West had passed over South's one-no-trump opening bid, North would probably have jumped to three no-trump. Having a hand with 4-3-3-3 distribution, one normally eschews Stayman. And note that three no-trump cannot be defeated. West would lead a low heart, won on the board with the 10, and declarer would collect four spades (being lucky there), one heart, three diamonds and two clubs.
    But when West overcalled two hearts, North got nervous about the heart suit. So he bid three hearts, Cue-Bid Stayman, to show four spades and game values. South, with four spades, bid that suit, and North raised to game.
    What should West lead? Here, the heart ace would work beautifully. When West sees his partner's two, he knows it is a singleton, so he continues with the heart three, his lowest heart being a suit-preference signal asking his partner to return a club, the lower-ranking of the other two side suits. Then, a club to West's ace and a second heart ruff means down one.
    If instead West selects his singleton diamond, declarer will make the contract by winning on the board, playing a low spade to his jack, cashing the spade ace, then drawing West's last trump and conceding two hearts and one club.
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