4§ was a splinter agreeing Spades showing a singleton. South now took his chances and bid the small slam in Spades.

On the hand this week it is absolutely vital to count winners at trick 1.

Declarer has 4 Spades, 3 Hearts and 2 Diamonds totalling just 9 tricks. In order to get home you will need three more and the only possible place to get three extra tricks is to try to ruff Clubs in the dummy THREE TIMES.

In order to do this you do not have the luxury of drawing trumps. If you draw trumps you will only have one left in the dummy.

After winning the first trick East switches to a trump but you win in hand and immediately play a club. You now come back to hand with a Heart in order to ruff another Club. It is now a matter of ruffing one more club and then you can draw trumps.

You will make 4 natural trumps from your hand (which will end up being the long hand) 3 Hearts, 2 Diamonds and 3 Club ruffs.

Not surprisingly West led a Club after East Doubled the 4§ Splinter bid.

NB Had West led a trump and when East gets in with the Club Ace he plays another Spade now declarer will be one short for his contract.

You can also watch the following movie to see how the hand pans out. To view this programme you will need  to download htttp://www.haroldschogger.com/bridgevu.setup

  alternatively watch the film www.haroldschogger.com/movies2.htm

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