DON'T IGNORE THEIR NOISE

The Senior Life Master strolled into the cardroom and distributed lesson notes and pre-duplicated boards for his forthcoming class.

After a half-hour preamble, the students bid and played the first of the SLM's deals, which is given in today's diagram.

A few pairs pushed into six hearts, but the SLM asked them to play in four. West was directed to lead the club jack. While the declarers decided what to do, the SLM proposed this auction. He explained that North's two-spade cue-bid raise showed at least game-invitational values in hearts. South, with his likely useless spade king, settled for game.

Most declarers drew trumps, cashed the other club winners and played a diamond, covered by the jack (key play showing his sequence), queen and king. Now West knew it was safe to return a diamond. The declarers won with the ace and exited in diamonds, hoping West would have to win the trick. But he didn't, and East pushed a spade through South's king to defeat the contract.

This is a deceptive deal (resumed the SLM), but the contract is guaranteed, assuming West has the spade ace. After drawing trumps and eliminating the clubs, play a low spade from both hands.

Presumably East will win and shift to a diamond, but you win with the ace and lead the spade king. After West takes the trick, he is trapped. He must either play on diamonds, letting you score your queen, or return a spade, which yields a ruffand-sluff. In either case, you lose only one diamond and two spades.