DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

Check out today’s deal. West leads the king of diamonds against four spades. Would you rather try to make the contract or try to beat it?

In real life, South might ruff the second diamond, draw trumps and lead a heart to dummy’s king and later a club to the jack. Both finesses would lose, and South would go down.

That line would be poor : South could succeed with an end play. After he draws trumps, he ruffs dummy’s last diamond and leads a heart to the ten. East must concede the 10th trick, either by leading a club or another heart or by conceding a ruff-sluff.

Say West shifts to a low heart at Trick Two. South can still get home with a “strip squeeze.” He ducks in dummy, and East wins with the eight and leads a diamond. South ruffs and runs his trumps. At the end, East must bare his ace of hearts to guard his queen of clubs, and declarer exits with a heart to end-play him.

Only a heart opening lead beats four spades.

This week : end-play technique.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: A 1 0 3 K 1 0 6 2

1 0 6 2 A K J . You are the dealer. What is your opening call?

ANSWER: Many pairs — especially those who compete at matchpoint duplicate — use a 1NT range of 15 to 17 points and would open 1NT routinely. Even if your preferred range

is not unreasonably, 16 to 18 points, you can upgrade this hand to a 1NT opener. The three tens are worth something, especially for play at notrump, and the jack of clubs is supported by the Amore likely to be a winner. South dealer

E-W vulnerable