WINNING MIGHT BE A TWO-STAGE PROCESS

Wayne Dyer, a selfhelp author and motivational speaker, said, "When you dance, your object is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way."

When you play bridge, you know where you wish to reach -- the number of tricks you need to make or break the contract. If you succeed, you will enjoy yourself.

How should East and West end this deal happily by defeating four spades?

The auction was straightforward. South had a minimum for his two-spade response. His six-card suit was good, but the singleton diamond and low tripleton in clubs were minuses. North jumped to four spades, knowing that they had the values for game

and at least an eight-card spade fit (South would have made a negative double with only four spades).

The defense started with a few simple steps. West led his club three. East won with his ace and returned the club two, his lowest card being a suitpreference signal for diamonds, the lower-ranking of the other two side suits. West ruffed and, being a well-trained partner, returned a diamond, which East won with his ace. But what did he do next?

Counting the points, East knew that his partner presumably had no honor-card. So the only chance for a fourth defensive winner lay in the trump suit. East, remembering that when you want partner to ruff, you should lead a loser, not a

bridge

winner, continued with the club six. When West ruffed with the spade four, it effected an uppercut. Dummy had to overruff with the spade king, and East's spade queen had been promoted as a winner.

Copyright United Feature Syndicate (Asia Features)