BRIDGE

How you might approach the play of a particular suit in this deal might seem like a kind of personality-profiling exercise.

Take a look at the combined diamond holding: do you see a potential source of a trick or two (optimist?) or a possible source of a loser or two (pessimist).

One declarer in a match won the ace of clubs to cash one high spade and ruff a spade. In dummy, he took the club King to discard a diamond and, totally ignoring diamonds as a possible trick source, ruffed a club to get to his hand for a second spade ruff.

Having shortened both hands by ruffing, South was in serious trouble when the 4-1 heart split came to light and matters didn't improve after a second club ruff in the closed hand.

Eventually, East gained the lead and a diamond through the trump-depleted closed hand saw West win the ace and cash a club.

Not so for Jim Colvin (Schomberg) who saw real potential in the diamond suit as he won the club ace, cashed the spade ace to arrive in dummy to click on and pass the Jack of diamonds.

When West took the ace and fired back a second club, declarer won the King not to discard a precious diamond but a small spade instead.

Second diamond to the eight for one more spade ruff, two top hearts and a third round of diamonds to the King to score the trump ace and concede one more trick.

Odd how those two diamond tricks constituted the exact difference in the number of tricks taken by the two declarers.