ª K Q 6 5 4

© 9

¨ K 8 5 4

§ J 10 5

ª 3                              ª 2

© K 4 2                      © A J 8 7 6 5

¨ J 10 6 2                   ¨ 3

§ 9 8 7 6 2                 § A K Q 4 3

ª A J 10 9 8 7

© Q 10 3

¨ A Q 9 7

§ -

West                North               East                  South

                                                1©                   1ª[1]

2©                   4ª                   5©                   6ª[2]

Pass                 Pass                 Double             End

Lead ©2

When declarer saw dummy he was very pleased and could see a likely way home as long as East did not hold four diamonds.  East won ©A and returned §Q which was a delicate mistake but one most defenders would make.  Declarer’s trumps were too solid – he would happily swap ª7 for ª3 - but now he was nearly home.  He ruffed §Q and crossed to ªK, ruffed another club with ªA and crossed to ªQ to ruff the last club.  This was the position:

ª 6 5 4

© --

¨ K 8 5 4

§ --

ª --                             ª --

© K 4                          © J 8 7 6

¨ J 10 6 2                   ¨ 3

§ 9                               § 4 3

ª 10

© Q 10

¨ A Q 9 7

§ -

Declarer cashed ¨A in case East held a singleton ¨10 or ¨J (by now the possibility of him holding for diamonds had evaporated), and cashed ª10 on which West discarded §9.   Then ©10 was ruffed and the last trump played from dummy; South could afford ¨7 but West was squeezed – he chose ©K in case his partner held ©Q but that was no good.  Declarer wrapped up ©Q and two more diamond tricks for his contract. 

The threats were ¨8 in dummy and ©Q in hand.

So what was wrong with East’s defence?  Declarer needs four entries to dummy to ruff out the clubs (that is called “reversing dummy” as he ruffs in the long trump hand to leave dummy with the long trump) and to be able to get to dummy without dislodging ¨K.  ªK Q are two clear entries and a late heart ruff is a third but the trump blockage leaves him one entry short.  If East returns a trump (or ¨3) at trick two declarer has to try some other line; he cannot ruff two hearts without destroying his heart threat.  His best hope is for a bad discard but West can see the diamonds in dummy so should not go wrong.