MAKE THEM AN OFFER THEY MUST ACCEPT

We all know the famous line from "The Godfather" about making someone an offer he cannot refuse. In today's deal, South, like the bad guys in that movie, can make his opponent an offer it does him no good to refuse. What is that offer?

North had a rotten rebid problem. Three clubs would have been a double negative, showing 0-3 points. He did not like three diamonds with a seven-high suit. So he compromised with two notrump. What would you have done?

West would have done best to lead the ace and another trump, but understandably he selected the club jack: queen, ace, ruff.

Declarer could see 10 tricks (two spades, six hearts, one diamond and one club), but how could he reach the dummy to cash the club king?

South fired off the heart eight at trick two, but West felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck. He won with the ace and returned his heart five. Declarer drew the last trump before playing a spade toward dummy's jack. However, East, after capturing the jack with his king, shifted to the diamond jack. South took the finesse, but it lost. Back came a diamond. South ran all his trumps, but East clung to his three remaining spades, leaving declarer with four losers: two spades, one heart and one diamond.

The kibitzer aimed in on the right play. At trick two, South should shoot the spade queen from his hand.

If East wins with the king, dummy's jack becomes the entry to the club winner. If East ducks instead, South cashes the spade ace, ruffs a spade in the dummy and collects the club king.