Dealer: West Vuln: E/W

Playing Strong No Trump (15-17) and 5 card Majors

My friend, Conrad Tsang, from Hong Kong, played this hand to perfection.

After counting his winners the total is 9 ie. 1 Spade, 4 Hearts, 1 Diamond and 3 clubs.

He can generate 1 more by taking the Diamond finesse should it work but better still if he can trump two Diamonds in his hand then he will make 11 tricks.

With all this in mind, at trick 2 he took a losing diamond finesse. West then played a trump, which he won in hand (pleased to see everybody following suit).

He now cashed the top Diamond followed by a Diamond ruff.

He now crossed to dummy with the Club king in order to ruff yet another Diamond.

His next priority was to draw the last trump but he could not do so yet as there was no entry on the table so he played the Ace of spades and then  conceded a spade to West who got off lead with a Spade which he was now able to trump and then draw the last trump before enjoying trick 13 with his remaining top club.

He eventually made4 trumps, 1 Spade. 1 Diamond 3 clubs and 2 Diamond ruffs.

(Fortunately he was not a member of the "always brigade" where you always draw trumps- if he had been he would have only been able to ruff Diamonds once and only make 10 tricks)

NB Supposedly,2♠ was a trial l bid for Game - in fact had North accepted I am sure my distinguished partner would have bid 6♠)

( you can play these hands out using bridgevu.exe and it is available free from   http://www.haroldschogger.com/movies.html )  Click on the lin picture above