PP 2nd Final Board 8

Board 8
Dlr W
Vul None

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

Franco	North	Andy	South
Pass	Pass	1♥	3♦
3♠	All Pass

I think I'm supposed to make a negative double over 3♦.

The ♦A was led (seems like a heart would be better).

Somehow I wound up with 9 tricks, I can't quite work it out.  Perhaps it was:

Another diamond was ruffed.  I crossed to ♥K to play a 3rd diamond, North ruffed in with the Q and played a trump to the ten, holding.  South ruffed ♥A, cashed a diamond and tapped me with a diamond, but I was able to hook the club and trump coup him.

If instead of tapping me with a diamond he exits a club, now I can't do everything. 

And yet, I don't think this was quite how it went down.

[Andy] I think what happened was that after ruffing with the ♠Q, North immediately gave South a heart ruff, and then South played a trump back.  Now you were able to play the ♥Q, and the defense can't prevent you from taking 9 tricks at that point.  (Indeed, if they ruff this trick you can squeeze North for an overtrick.)

Had the defense played a spade instead of a heart as suggested above, declarer can still make, but it requires very double dummy play.  (Overtake the spade in hand, club finesse, club A, club ruff, diamond, forcing South to shorten declarer for a coup at the end.)  The winning double dummy defense is actually to not ruff in with the ♠Q.

10.5/17