1. 

            Dealer West. Both Vul

                                    ♠          A 6 4 2

                                    ♥          4

                                    ♦          A 10 9 8 7 2

                                    ♣         7 4

            ♠          K Q 7 5                                   ♠          J 10 9

            ♥          J 9 7 3                                    ♥          8 6 5 2

            ♦          K J 6                                       ♦          5 4

            ♣         10 2                                        ♣         Q 9 8 5

                                    ♠          8 3

                                    ♥          A K Q 10

                                    ♦          Q 3

                                    ♣         A K J 6 3

The bidding is a little bizarre and South ends up in 3NT. 

The lead of the ♠5 now shows a 4 card suit (WHY??)  The reason we know this is because its 4^th highest and West cannot have any cards lower than the 5 because in dummy is the 4 2 and in hand the 3 so it has to be 4 card suit so your first worry that the opponents will run away with loads of Spades in unfounded.

Now which suit  to play on to establish enough winners to make 9 tricks, your contract?

An initial count gives you 1 Spade, 3 Hearts, 1 Diamonds and 2 clubs, so you need to find 2 more. On the surface,  Diamonds seems to be your best bet but missing both the King and Jack this line  is a long way off. If the club finesse works and the clubs break 3-3  you will get 10 tricks. If just one of these requirements is working you will make 9 so it seems that Clubs is your best bet..

So win the first trick with dummy’s Ace and take an immediate club finesse which works. Now play off the clubs and although they break 4-2 the last club will be established and you will eventually make 1 Spade, 3 Hearts, 1 Diamond and 4 clubs.

An alterative line that would work here (as the cards lie) is to win second trick in hand with the top club and play the Diamond Queen and if West covers to duck this trick and to later finesse West for the Diamond Jack but this play is very much against the odds.

 

 

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

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