The illusion of an over-trick. 
Bridge Column for July 18, 2003, Harvey Bernstein
East-West vulnerable.  South deals.
                              North
                              S: J 8 3 2          
                              H: 5 4         
                              D: A 8 6       
                              C: K 6 4 3 
            West                             East
            S: A 10 9 6 5                    S: K 7          
            H: 7 6                           H: K 3 2      
            D: Void                          D: Q J 10 7 5 4 3    
            C: Q J 10 8 7 5                  C: 2      
                              South                         
                              S: Q 4  
                              H: A Q J 10 9 8 
                              D: K 9 2     
                              C: A 9      
          The Bidding:  
                  South    West    North    East                  
                   1H       1S      Dbl     Pass
                   3H      Pass     4H      Pass
                   Pass    Pass
     Today's hand is a lesson in greed.  South is playing four
hearts and West leads the ace of spades which holds the first
trick.  West knows that he is probably on lead for the last time
and switches to the queen of clubs, hoping to find East with the
ace.  
     The king of clubs wins the trick and declarer plays a heart
to the eight, which holds.  It now appears that an overtrick may
be available.  Declarer leads the queen of spades and East wins
the king.  The queen of diamonds is trumped by West and the club
return is trumped by East for the setting trick.
     After the opening lead, declarer could count ten tricks:
five hearts, two clubs, two diamonds, and a spade by force.  All
he had to do was make sure that the defense did not get any cheap
tricks by trumping his winners.  When the eight of hearts held
the third trick, declarer should play the ace of hearts, when
both defenders follow, the queen of spades will force out the
king while the ace of diamonds is still in the dummy.
     Often the chance for an over trick is an illusion that fools
the best of players.  
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Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon.