Ascot Bridge Club

 In the last team–of-four match of the season, this hand came up. These are the East-West hands, with East- West vulnerable.

East gallantly opens 1NT, on his usual load of rubbish, and South bids two hearts.  West then mangles the system for dealing with this, but suffice to say that East ends up playing in 3NT, against an opening lead of the heart six.  Being a courteous player, East politely thanks West for his rubishy 12 points, and puts up the heart king, which holds.  The eight of clubs is then passed to South, who wins with the king.

 In his wisdom, South plays Ace, queen and another heart, with dummy discarding a spade and a club, and North – in slow time – having to find three discards.  He decides to play South for three spades (which he has) and lets two spades go, hanging onto his dimond holding, headed by the king, jack, ten.

 East watches this with great interest, and promptly cashes the ace, King of spades, followed by three rounds of clubs.  The diamond three is then led and ducked in dummy, and North is end played having to lead away from the diamond king.  Even if North discards differently, the end play always works, as long as he holds the high cards in spades and diamonds: the mistake lay with South, in giving declarer a second heart trick.