NEIL HAYWARD BRIDGE

Opening Lead: ♦3 to East’s ♦K, then East plays the ♣3. Your plan?

Recommended Line: The prompt switch to the ♣3 looks very much like a singleton. You can discern East’s plan: he will win an early spade, lead a diamond to West, and a club lead allows East to ruff. Down one. However, if you can see their plan, you can thwart it too. The club switch is won on table, and you finesse in hearts. That succeeds. Now cash the ♥A, lead a spade to the ♠A, and lead the ♥J. East covers, and you throw a diamond. East might try to reach West in diamonds, but the route no longer exists. You ruff, and they win a spade, a heart, and a diamond: a heart more, a diamond fewer, but no ruff. The last bit is the key.

And you have shown that you can cut it at the highest level, having just executed a Scissors Coup.