Dealer South Both Vul.

                                    ♠          A J 4

                                    ♥          7 6

                                    ♦          A K Q 10 5 4

                                    ♣         A J

            ♠          9 7 6 5                                    ♠          K Q 10 2

            ♥          9 3                                          ♥          8 4

            ♦          J 9 7 6                                    ♦          8 3 2

            ♣         K 7 5                                       ♣         Q 10 8 4

                                    ♠          8 3

                                    ♥          A K Q J 10 5 2

                                    ♦          —

                                    ♣         9 6 3 2

On the surface this looks like a very easy hand. However you only have one entry (§Ace) back to dummy after using the Spade Ace at trick 1 and you might need two entries to dummy if the Diamond Jack doesn’t fall in two rounds.

So how are you going to set up the Diamonds and keep the Club entry on the table?

If the contract is going to be successful, either the Diamonds must break 4:3 or the diamond Jack needs to fall early.

With this in mind your main priority is to set the diamonds up and you can start at TRICK TWO  by immediately ruffing a diamond getting you to hand .

You can now draw trumps in two rounds

You now get to dummy with your only entry left there by playing a Club to the Ace.

Now its a matter of playing out Diamonds and when the diamonds fall in three more rounds your last two diamonds in dummy are now high and you can claim

You will make 1 Spade, 6 trumps, 3 Diamonds, 1 Diamond ruffed, 2 established Diamonds and 1 club  totalling 14 tricks – sorry you only needed 13.

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