COUNT WINNERS; ESTABLISH WINNERS

Addison Walker, an actress, said, "It's not true that nice guys finish last. Nice guys are winners before the game even starts." But it is much better to be a nice winner than a nice loser.

How can South become a winner in this six-spade contract after West leads the heart king? I will tell you that the opposing clubs are breaking 4-3 and the trumps aren't 5-0.

In the auction, two spades was fourth-suit game-forcing, not promising length in the suit; but North raised to define his distribution exactly. Four no-trump was Roman Key Card Blackwood; and five hearts showed either two aces or one ace and the trump king; it denied holding the trump queen.

As is usually the case, whatever the contract, making this slam is a matter of counting winners.

If declarer draws trumps and runs the clubs, he takes only 11 tricks. When he plays a diamond, someone will win with the ace and cash the heart queen. The secret is to establish the 12th trick in diamonds immediately, leading the 10 to dummy's king.

East wins with the ace, but what does he return? If a heart, South ruffs, draws trumps ending in the dummy, returns to hand with a diamond to the queen and runs the clubs. If a diamond, declarer wins in hand with the queen, ruffs a club on the board (just in case they are 5-2), draws trumps ending in hand

bridge

and cashes the clubs.

Two internationals, who may remain anonymous, won the opening heart lead and immediately cashed two rounds of trumps. They were losers.

Copyright United Feature Syndicate (Asia Features)