Dealer West Both Vul

                             ♠        Q 9 8

                             ♥       Q 8 7

                             ♦        K Q J 4 2

                             ♣       5 4

          ♠        4 3                                 ♠        K

          ♥       A 6 3 2                          ♥       J 10 9

          ♦        9 8                                 ♦        10 7 6 5

          ♣       K Q J 7 2                      ♣       A 10 9 8 6

                             ♠        A J 10 7 6 5 2

                             ♥       K 5 4

                             ♦        A 3

                             ♣       3

Our hand this week is concerned with stopping the opponents making overtricks. Everything rests with what East plays at trick one and trick two.

West should be thinking on the following lines. “Another Club will not stand up because I have 5 and partner must have five for the overcall. Therefore partner needs to switch in order to start cashing tricks. However partner is not privy to this information and does not know I have five so let’s make it easy for him by winning the first trick with the Ace. Now what do I need to switch to to get tricks? Well clubs is no good and I can see the source of tricks in dummy in Diamonds so a Heart is called for but which one? If we play the Jack partner might let the trick go around to dummy’s Queen so let’s play the 9 giving the impression we have no interest in Hearts and partner will surely play the Ace if he has it. Partner wins the second Trick and that’s the last trick we make”. 

Without this defence declarer will romp home with seven spades and 5 diamonds and the defence will not realise their second defensive trick.

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

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