NEIL HAYWARD BRIDGE

Opening Lead: ♦Q. What is your plan?

Recommended Line: You have a loser in clubs, and possible losers in spades and hearts. You certainly need the heart finesse to work. And, looking ahead, you plan to discard the ♠Q on an established club. The defenders might duck two rounds of clubs, to break your communications with dummy’s club suit. So you win the opening lead in hand, retaining the ♦K as an entry to the clubs later on, if needed. Then lead the ♣8 to the ♣9.

This places the defenders in an impossible position. If they win the trick, the clubs will be ready to run. If they duck, you are in dummy to lead the ♥J, running it if not covered. If they win the first round of clubs, and knock out the ♦K, you finesse in trumps, as before, and, once the trumps have been drawn, you play the ♣K, and overtake the ♣J. The ♠Q goes away on a good club. All that remains is to tell Partner not to be so forward in the bidding in future, even if the optimistic contract allowed you to showcase your skills.