Neither side vulnerable. South deals. NORTH S: K 6 5 H: K 6 2 D: A Q 9 4 2 C: K 8 WEST EAST S: 7 4 S: J 9 3 H: Q 9 7 3 H: A J 5 D: K J D: 10 8 7 3 C: A Q 6 5 2 C: J 9 7 SOUTH S: A Q 10 8 2 H: 10 8 4 D: 6 5 C: 10 4 3 SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST Pass 1C Double Pass 2S Pass 3D Pass 3S Pass 4S All Pass The opening lead is the three of hearts. Before reading further, decide if you would prefer to declare or defend. It looks as if there are only nine tricks available for the declarer. The combined holding of the North and South hands is only twenty-one high card points and a couple of doubletons. South's two spade bid seems fairly aggressive, as does North's three diamond call. Given all of this, you should choose to defend. But be careful. To beat this hand, you are going to have to defend well. Look at what happened at the table after West led the three of hearts. Declarer played a low heart from dummy and East played the jack, which won the trick. East switched to the seven of clubs. South played low and West won the ace. It is trick three and West is at the critical juncture of the hand. Unfortunately, he selected the queen of hearts as his next lead and Declarer covered with the king from dummy. East won the ace, establishing the ten of hearts in the South hand as the tenth trick. What if the defenders avoid the heart suit all together? Let's make West lead the four of spades. This goes to the ten in the South hand. A diamond is led and the queen covers the jack and wins the trick. The ace of diamonds is cashed and a low diamond is ruffed with the eight of spades. A club is led. West wins the ace and continues with a club (a trump is no better). The king wins this trick and declarer ruffs another diamond with the queen of spades. South leads his last club and ruffs in dummy. The king of spades is cashed and the nine of diamonds is led. This is the end position: NORTH S: V o i d H: K 6 2 D: 9 C: V o i d WEST EAST S: V o i d S: J H: Q 9 7 H: A J 5 D: V o i d D: V o i d C: Q C: V o i d SOUTH S: A H: 10 8 4 D: V o i d C: V o i d East may ruff in which case South pitches a heart and East is endplayed, or East may pitch, in which case the nine of diamonds becomes the tenth trick. In spite of this you should elect to defend. East must lead one round of hearts and one round only. When he regains the lead with the ace of clubs, he must lead another club. The defense will now score the ace of clubs and three heart tricks or two heart tricks and a trump, depending on how declarer continues. ---------------------------------------------------------------------