Lederer 2004 - Best Defended Hand Award
Match 6 Board 15 Dealer South N/S vulnerable 

  Q 9 8
7
10 9 4 2
9 8 5 3 2		  
6 4 3 2
Q J
A K J 7
J 10 4		   J 10
A K 4
Q 6 5 3
A K Q 6
  A K 7 5
10 9 8 6 5 3 2
8
7		  

Two pairs reached 6on the East West cards and conceded one off as soon as they saw dummy. When the Holders faced Canada the bidding on VuGraph went:


South
Andrew
Robson		 West
Joe
Silver		 North
David
Bakhshi		 East
John
Carruthers
Pass  1 Pass 2
Pass 2NT Pass 3
Pass 3NT All Pass 4NT
All Pass

Robson had not mentioned his heart suit for fear of encouraging a heart lead. He was rewarded when Bakhshi led the 8, an attitude lead, apparently denying interest in spades. Robson won with K and considered his options. With a significant point-a-board element in the scoring, overtricks and undertricks can be very important. Eventually he decided to play his partner for precisely Q98 and returned a small spade. The defence took the first four tricks to beat 4NT by one.

In the other room André Laliberté opened 1 on the South cards and the Holders bid to 6NT. Jon Robinson led his partner’s suit and declarer made eleven tricks. A flat board, but their play earned Andrew Robson and David Bakhshi the prize for the best defended hand.