Dealer North. Both Vul

                                    ♠          A K 9 8

                                    ♥          Q 6

                                    ♦          Q 7 5 3

                                    ♣         K Q 6

            ♠          J 7 3                                       ♠          10

            ♥          K 10 7 4                                 ♥          A J 8 3 2

            ♦          A K 9 6 4                                ♦          J 10 2

            ♣         7                                              ♣         A 10 5 2

                                    ♠          Q 6 5 4 2

                                    ♥          9 5

                                    ♦          8

                                    ♣         J 9 8 4 3

In order to defeat 2ª you are going to have to find 6 defensive tricks.

Partner’s lead suggests a singleton and you will of course win the first trick.

You will give partner a ruff BUT at the same time tell him how to get you in for a second ruff. You do this with a SUIT PREFERENCE SIGNAL and play back the §10 to say you want the higher ranking suit.

Partner ruffs and duly plays the ©4 promising an honour and confirming partner has no more than a four card suit (you have the 3 and 2). When declarer plays low you can play the Jack and giving partner another ruff. Partner ruffs and takes his Diamond Ace before playing one more Heart which is the setting trick.

You have made 2 Hearts, 1 Diamond, 1 Club and two club ruffs to defeat this contract by one.

NB Of course East’s bidding is atrocious and should start with a Double over 1NT to show balanced of Power. Once the Heart fit comes to light after South pulls into 2ª now East West will hopefully get to 4©.

You can also play out the following hand  to see how the hand pans out. (You need bridgvu.exe programme  and it is available free from   http://www.haroldschogger.videoes.html or BridgeBase programme on your machine already to view it )

alternatively watch the film of the hand being played out by going to www.haroldschogger.com/movies2.htm