Score ten points 5

You are South and decide to open lightly since you have a good suit. If the opponents would turn out to hold the balance of power and end up playing the contract, at least you hope to have made defence easier (spade lead from partner!).

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

However, the opponents stay silent and this is the bidding:

¹ classical, not forcing therefore

West leads the ♣9.
Make your choice by clicking A, B or C and find out whether your line of play is the correct one. EW are known for there imaginative defence...

A I win with the ♣A.
B I insert the ♣J.

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

¹ classical, not forcing therefore

On the ♣A East drops the ♣2. You play the ♠5 from dummy, East plays the ♠Q and you win with the ♠A, West plays the ♠3.

A I play the ♠2 (West the ♠4) to the ♠9.
B I play the ♠2 (West the ♠4) to the ♠J.

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

¹ classical, not forcing therefore

On the ♣J East drops the ♣2. You play the ♠5 from dummy, East plays the ♠Q and you win with the ♠A, West plays the ♠3.

A I play the ♠2 (West the ♠4) to the ♠9.
B I play the ♠2 (West the ♠4) to the ♠J.
C I play the ♠K.

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

¹ classical, not forcing therefore

East wins with the ♠10! He switches to a diamond and you try the ♦K. West wins with the ♦A and gives East a club ruff (East started with ♠Q108!). EW cash another diamond and switch to a heart. After that you lose the ♣K and a heart: you are even three down! West has fooled you by leading a club. Your line of play was understandable: you judged West's lead was a singleton and since you had one other chance to make your contract (no spade loser), you went up with the ♣A. East's ♠Q (from ♠Q108!) pulled your leg once more but in fact he was wrong: he took an unnecessary risk. Unnecessary, since you were in fact already two down the moment you went up with the ♣A: the ♦A is in West, so you were now certain to lose two diamonds, a spade, the ♣K and a heart (EW have the 'tempo' to establish their heart trick). East's ♠Q gave you the chance to recover. Was it plausible you should have gone up with the ♠J instead of inserting the ♠9? Maybe: it is doubtful whether West, holding four trumps including the ♠10, would have led his singleton club (which is what you thought, remember?). Often a lead from a long (here: red) suit is better then, to try to shorten declarer's trump suit. If you therefore had played the ♠J instead of the ♠9, East would have regretted that smart ♠Q. You would then have drawn the last trumps and driven out the ♣K. On the fifth club you would have thrown your heart loser, limiting your losers to the ♣K and two diamonds! 2 points.

Click here for the full lay-out.

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

¹ classical, not forcing therefore

East follows suit with the ♠8, you did not let yourself be fooled by East's 'bare ♠Q'!

A I play the ♠9 to the ♠K and play a club.
B I play a diamond to the ♦K.

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

¹ classical, not forcing therefore

East wins with the ♠10 (!) and switches to a diamond. You play the ♦K. West wins with the ♦A and plays a club (!) which East ruffs. EW make another diamond as the setting trick. East has fooled you by playing the ♠Q from ♠Q108.
However, since you had guessed well in the first trick by finessing the ♣K, you needed not take the risk of that finesse of the ♠10. Suppose West really had four spades including the ♠10, like East tried to make you think. You could still have played the ♠J in trick three then (East showing out), then cross to the ♠K and repeat the club finesse, after which you are always able to throw your heart loser on the fifth club. This way you would lose one trump trick at most if the distribution was like east suggested (and not two trump tricks like you lost now) and two diamonds. In the actual lay-out you would have made an overtrick.
You went down needlessly therefore but to be honest: East's play of the ♠Q was smart.
5 points since you dared to finesse in trick one, despite West's clever lead (which looked like a singleton).

Click here for the full lay-out.

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

¹ classical, not forcing therefore

East follows suit with the ♠8!
Fantastically played! Neither West (with his clever lead) nor East (with his fanciful play of the ♠Q from ♠Q108) has been able to fool you. You draw the last trump with the ♠K, repeat the club finesse, throw your heart loser on the fifth club and make an overtrick (only one: you lose two diamond tricks, since the ♦A is in West).
You realised in time you could afford a trump loser (if West really has four spades including the ♠10, which is what East tries to make you think) since you can throw your heart loser on the fifth club.
Had you finessed in trick three by inserting the ♠9, you would have been down because East started with ♠Q108: he would have won with the ♠10, would then have played a diamond for West, who would have given him a club ruff, after which EW would have made another diamond.
10 points.

Click here for the full lay-out.

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

¹ classical, not forcing therefore

Well done. First you guessed wrong on West's smart club lead but in trick three you played an inspired ♠J (read here at the full lay-out why that probably was best). After that it was just a matter of counting losers: drawing the last trump and playing clubs ensured the contract. On the fifth club you discard your heart loser: ten tricks (you lose two diamonds since the ♦A is in West).
You were fortunate East decided to try to lure you with that 'bare' ♠Q: if he had played the 'normal' ♠8 (he had ♠Q108!), you would have been two down, losing the ♠Q (!), two diamonds, the ♣K and a heart (EW would have had the 'tempo' to establish their heart trick).
7 points for your inspired handling of the spade suit.

Click here for the full lay-out.

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

¹ classical, not forcing therefore

Pity, you go astray after having played that inspired ♠J in the third trick (read here at the full lay-out why that probably was best)! Count your losers. By playing a diamond now you take an unnecessary risk. The ♦A turns out to be in West and EW, after taking two diamond tricks, switch to a heart. You are too late now to establish the clubs: EW gain the lead with the ♣K and make a heart as the setting trick: one down. Had you simply drawn the last trump and played clubs, you could have thrown your heart loser on the fifth club, losing two diamonds and the ♣K only.
3 points.

Click here for the full lay-out.

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

¹ classical, not forcing therefore

East follows suit with the ♠8!
East has not fooled you with his 'bare' ♠Q.
It was tempting to play the ♠2 to the ♠9 but East (who has brilliantly played that ♠Q from ♠Q108!) would win and switch to a diamond. The ♦A is in West so you would lose two diamonds and West would give East a club ruff: one down!
You realised you could afford a trump loser (but not two) as long as you could park your heart loser in time on the fifth club.
Yet you have played a bit clumsily. After the ♠A it would have been more logical to play the ♠2 to the ♠J and a third round of trumps to the ♠K, after which you would have been in the right hand for the repeated club finesse.
But who cares, you make your contract (unless you would play the ♣A now; East would ruff, EW would then make two diamonds and switch to a heart after which you would have a heart to lose).
Now you can play:
- the ♠2 to the ♠J and then a diamond to the ♦K. You lose two diamonds (West has the ♦A); West switches to heart; you lose a heart as well but you ruff the third heart and finesse in clubs.
- the ♠2 to the ♠J and then the ♣A and the ♣6. This way you lose the ♣K and two red tricks but you can discard your third red loser on the fifth club in time.
- the ♣3 to the ♣Q. East ruffs and EW then make two diamonds but you can discard your heart loser on the fifth club.
9 points.

Click here for the full lay-out.

The full lay-out:

You are South and decide to open lightly since you have a good suit. If the opponents would turn out to hold the balance of power and end up playing the contract, at least you hope to have made defence easier (spade lead from partner!).

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

However, the opponents stay silent and this is the bidding:

¹ classical, not forcing therefore

West leads the ♣9 and it looks like South at once has to take the most important decision of the deal. ♣9 looks very much like a singleton....

List all the points

South's instincts tell him to go up with the ♣A. But that gives him a small chance to make the contract: now the ♠Q will have to come down in the second round (or in East in the first round). If the ♠Q does not drop under the ♠AK South is down: he must lose the lead in clubs, after which EW will force out the ♥A. They then still have the ♠Q as an entry and make one trick in every suit, possibly two in diamonds.
The question is therefore: how certain is it that the ♣9 is a singleton? If West has the ♦A he will certainly not lead that suit, while with a holding like ♥K10x(xx) he might consider that suit to dangerous as well. Maybe he tries to pull South the wool over the eyes by underleading the ♣K? That is certainly a possibility. Combined with the fact that South has very little chance after having played the ♣A, he might therefore very well decide to finesse in clubs.

What now?

The ♣J wins the trick! West indeed tried to fool declarer with this clever club lead.
South now plays the ♠5 from dummy, East contributing the ♠Q. It is very tempting to take this card to be a singleton but note that East might play that card from the bare ♠Q10, a play that cannot lose. Playing a spade to the ♠9 would therefore be absolutely wrong. South does not need that finesse to succeed. He can afford to lose a trump trick. He plays the ♠2 to the ♠J therefore, then crosses to the ♠K and repeats the club finesse. This way he can discard his heart loser on the fifth club. If West indeed would turn out to have four spades including the ♠10, he is allowed to ruff a trick with the ♠10 sooner or later.
In the actual lay-out South now even makes an overtrick, since East had ♠Q108! East hoped South would finesse over 'West's ♠10'. East would then win and play a diamond, after which he would get a club ruff: two (!) trump tricks and two diamond tricks for EW: one down.

If South wins the first trick with the ♣A – of course this is not unreasonable – he should go down: he will now lose a trump, the ♣K, two diamonds and a heart (EW now have the 'tempo' to establish their heart).
But East comes, unwisely, to the rescue. He obviously does not know EW can make two diamonds and he tries to make two trump tricks by playing the ♠Q in the first trump trick. As we have seen this play is sensible if South has finessed in trick one: the only chance for EW then is to fool South.
But now, since South has already been fooled in trick one, the false card is unnecessary and worse, it gives South a chance to recover. Again South's decision in spades is crucial. Since South is now certain to lose a trick to the ♣K he must try for zero spade losers.
Should he therefore finesse over 'West's ♠10'? Not many East players are so clever as to play the ♠Q from ♠Q10 bare or, more unlikely, ♠Q108. Therefore finessing seems logical.
Yet now too there is something to be said for playing a spade to dummy's ♠J in the second spade trick. This is why: it is not very likely West would lead a singleton club (for that is what South thinks!) holding four spades including the ♠10. He would probably have led a long suit, to try to exhaust declarer's trumps, common and sound tactics, especially since NS have shown a double fit.
If South goes up with dummy's ♠J in the second spade trick, he makes his contract after having been fooled in trick one – thanks to East's cleverness...

The deal is from an English club match. Both East and West showed imagination: West by that clever club lead and East by that ♠Q. It must be said though, that since declarer had won the first trick with the ♣A - so West's lead had been successful - East's false card turned out to be unnecessary (ok: it gave the defence an extra down trick, the third) and even risky: it gave South a chance to recover.