Bridge

NOT everybody reached 4S on this deal from the Arthur Grandmasters Pairs. West's 5332 distribution is not ideal, East has very few points, and the nonvulnerable game bonus is not much of a lure. Looking at the East-West hands 4S is an excellent contract, needing just one of the club honours onside, but it is not so good when North has overcalled in clubs.

Declarer had a sinking feeling when North led the king of clubs and he saw dummy. North's overcall on an empty suit headed by the king-queen was likely to be a six-card suit, so he could see the killing defence: South ruffs the club and puts partner in twice in hearts for two more ruffs and two down. Fortunately this was not quite so clear to South. If partner had ace-king of clubs and declarer the king of hearts ruffing partner's winner would not be a killing defence.

These days most partnerships lead ace from ace-king when they want an attitude signal; and king from ace-king when they want a count signal. Which made it impossible for South to tell what partner's honour holding might be. She discarded a heart and a grateful declarer won the ace and drew trump. A refinement is to lead king from king-queen for count, queen from king-queen for attitude. The queen makes things difficult for partner when he holds the ace, but might solve South's problem here. She would know that declarer had the ace, and the only chance of beating the contract was to ruff and lead a heart.