Bridge

In June, Nick Nickell's great sextet won a long Trials to pick the U.S. team for the 2008 World Mind Sports Games (formerly the Teams Olympiad) in Beijing.

I have believed that though the general standard of play is in decline -- there is an overemphasis on bidding -- the standard among experts has held steady. I still think so, but today's Trials deal left me shaken.

The deal was played at six tables. Two North-Souths did well to reach seven clubs and failed unluckily. Another North-South played at six hearts. It seems South should have made that slam, but he started the trumps by taking the A-K. At a fourth table, North-South stopped timidly at four hearts.

At the other two tables, North-South landed at six clubs, and West led the ace of diamonds. South ruffed, cashed the ace of hearts, led a trump to dummy and returned a second heart. When East played low, one declarer put up his king, the other finessed with his jack. Both went down when West ruffed and led a trump.

After South takes the ace of hearts, he should lead a low heart. He can ruff the diamond return and ruff a heart in dummy to set up the hearts. This play would lose only to a specific lie of the hearts plus a 4-0 trump break.

Maybe the Souths at six clubs were tired -- or maybe even experts are spending too much time on bidding theory and too little studying play techniques. The correct play's theme has appeared many times in the literature.

North dealer

Neither side vulnerable

NORTH

S A Q 7 6 5 3

H 8 4

D 10 9 2