Lederer3

Contract 4 Hearts South
Club Lead

	ª 9 8 x © Q J x x x ¨ 8 § A K 10 x		W - Dble All	N - 4¨* Pass	E - Pass	S 1© 4©
ª K J x x © 10 ¨ A Q J x § Q x x x		ª 10 x © K 9 x ¨ x x x x § J x x x	*	Splinter
	ª A Q 7 x © A 8 x x ¨ K 10 x x § x

David Ould played it neatly. He cashed A K clubs, pitching a diamond, ruffed a club and he then got off play with a low diamond. West won and shifted to the 10 of hearts and it went Queen from dummy covered by the the King and and Ace. Now declarer ruffed a diamond, ruffed the last club in hand, ruffed his last diamond on table before running the spade 9 to West's J. After this partial elimination, West was endplayed to give a ruff and discard or a spade into the A Q. Contract made losing just a trump, a diamond and a spade.

So you agree to back declarer, then?

But have you spotted any errors?

If East does not cover the heart Queen, South's timing is spoilt. He is in the wrong hand to ruff a diamond (In any event the later ruff and discard would have promoted a second trump for the defence as South would have had to ruff with the Ace).

So now do you back the defence?

But, should declarer have covered the heart 10 in dummy? No, as the cards lay. After the ruff and discard, declarer will play the spade ace and ruff a spade. East cannot decline to overruff to promote a trump. This is trick12!

So on this analysis, the declarer should prevail.

PS further contributions to this very interesting hand gratefull received!