BRIDGE

Co-operative defensive campaigns that exploit an opponent's “slight” error can be extremely satisfying when a trick that didn't seem possible is conjured out of thin air.

South might have taken a preference back to spades at his second turn in the auction but the lure of introducing the heart suit was reasonable.

Declarer's plan during the bidding: scramble some heart tricks in his hand and hope to use his partner's high cards to round out eight winners.

Not uncommonly, modifications in the plan were called for after the opening diamond lead was captured by dummy's Queen.

South cashed the diamond ace, crossed to the spade Queen and ruffed a diamond in the dummy.

Enter the error: declarer decided he couldn't trump his last small diamond safely and eschewed the alternate line of playing three rounds of spades to attempt to discard a loser.

Instead, he clicked on the heart ten for a losing finesse.

West seized the opportunity after winning the heart Queen by cashing the club King and playing a second round to his partner's ace.

East cooperated nicely after winning the club ace by cashing the diamond ten for his partner to dump his last club.

Finally, a third round of clubs from East put South squarely in an untenable position: if he ruffed low or not at all, West's trump nine would immediately become the defenders' sixth winner while ruffing high would fare no better as West could pitch a spade and take two more trump tricks later.

After the first diamond ruff, a better way to use the power of North's heart ten: spade to hand for the fourth diamond towards the dummy!