NEIL HAYWARD BRIDGE

Contract: 7♠ by South

Opening Lead: ♦K. How do you plan to make 13 tricks?

Recommended Line: The hand looks easy. You seem to have an overtrick! Which is why you should ask: what could go wrong? The answer is that trumps might break 4-1. If this should be the case, East must be the one with four trumps. Since it is ridiculous to lead the ♠8 to your ♠T, you must have a conjurer’s trick up your sleeve if East holds ♠ Jxxx. In this case, you need to ruff three times to reduce your trump length to match East’s. Be sure to start the process at trick two. Ruff a diamond. Cash two top trumps to see how the spades lie. You discover they are 4-1, but that is no problem. Cross to the ♣J to ruff another diamond. Then overtake the ♣K, cash the ♣Q and ruff the fourth diamond. Trump parity has been achieved. Now you cash the ♥K and ♥A. At this point, you and East both hold two trumps, so, at trick 12, East must ruff, and you over-ruff. The fatuous dream of 14 tricks has been thwarted, but it could have been a nightmare. You have pulled off a trump coup. But keep that under your hat.