S/EW		♠	A Q J
		♥	8 6
		♦	K J 5 4
		♣	6 5 4 3
		♠	6 5
		♥	A 7 2
		♦	Q 10 9 8 6
		♣	A K Q

West leads the ♠10. How should South play?

Solution

Declarer counts five top tricks: the ♠A, the ♥A and the ♣AKQ. He can easily set up the diamond suit, giving him the required four extra tricks. The only danger is the opponents cashing five tricks before he can cash nine…
Declarer should realise that, whichever spade he plays in dummy to trick one, he is certain to have another spade guard after that.
He should realise as well that if he were to finesse for the ♠K at the first trick and that finesse would fail, he is risking a heart switch by East. Thus declarer's only heart guard would disappear, while he still has to lose the lead to the ♦A...

		♠	A Q J
		♥	8 6
		♦	K J 5 4
		♣	6 5 4 3
♠	10 9 8 7 3			♠	K 4 2
♥	10 5 4 3			♥	K Q J 9
♦	A 3			♦	7 2
♣	8 7			♣	J 10 9 2
		♠	6 5
		♥	A 7 2
		♦	Q 10 9 8 6
		♣	A K Q

That would mean down one in an ice-cold 3NT...

Declarer should therefore win the first trick with the ♠A and clear the diamonds, making sure of nine safe tricks. After all, the ♠QJ together still constitute a guard.