From                  27th September, 2006, Board 16

                                          Difficulty           * * *

                                          Dlr West           E-W Vul
 

♠ 53 ♥ 93 ♦ AKJT52 ♣ Q93	North    Dummy      East             South	♠ AQJT64 ♥ AKJ85 ♦ 73 ♣
West   North   East     South               2♦       Pass     3♠       Pass               4♠       Pass     Pass   Pass

South leads the A♣.  At teams it would be wise to pitch a Heart on this trick, as a protection against getting forced with 4-1 trumps, but as it's matchpoints you decide to ruff.

There's a finesse to be taken in trumps, and there are Heart losers to be taken care of, either through ruffing, or finessing, or by pitching them on Diamonds.

Is there a reason not to take the Spade finesse?

Yes, the problem with crossing to the board with a Diamond and finessing in Spades is that if they get in with the K♠ they will continue Diamonds, cutting off Dummy.  Even worse, a devious South might duck the first Spade, then after a Diamond back to the board and another Spade finesse, she'll win the King and you will have wasted Dummy's entries and long Diamonds.  So, you cash the A♠, and play the Q♠ to South's King, North pitching a Club.  Now, South shifts to a Diamond.

Plan the play.

SOLUTION

We have 9 top tricks at this point, with hopes for more in either or both red suits.  The danger with taking the Diamond finesse is that, if it loses, a Diamond will no doubt come back, and Dummy will be dead ... also our 9th trick will have evaporated.  Better, surely, to win the A♦ and play a Heart to the Ace.  Trumps are drawn, and now the best way of combining chances in the red suits is to play to the K♦ ... on a good day the Queen will come tumbling down and the Heart losers will disappear on the Diamonds ... otherwise, we must hope that the Hearts come in for only one loser (or none).

	♠ 9 ♥ QT76 ♦ Q8 ♣ J76542
♠ 53 ♥ 93 ♦ AKJT52 ♣ Q93	North    Dummy      East            South	♠ AQJT64 ♥ AKJ85 ♦ 73 ♣
	♠ K872 ♥ 42 ♦ 964 ♣ AKT8

As it happens, no fewer than 12 tricks are made.  The key play was not to use a Diamond entry in order to take the Spade finesse, thus keeping the red suit options open for a while.  South's attempt to reduce those options with that Diamond shift worked out rather poorly, she would have done better just to exit with a Spade after winning the K♠.  Now, the most sensible line for Declarer is to draw trumps and take a first-round Diamond finesse, bringing in 11 tricks on the actual hand, 12 tricks if the Q♦ is on-side.

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