GOREN BRIDGE

North's three-spade bid showed a very strong hand and South, who might have had nothing, carried on to game. A five-diamond contract would have been easier, but the four-spade contract had reasonable play. East won the opening club lead and continued smartly with a high club, attacking dummy's trumps.

South ruffed the second club in dummy and had a clear plan. He would cash the ace and queen of spades, cross to his hand with the queen of hearts, cash the king of spades, and then take the diamond finesse. This would succeed whenever the spades split 3-3 and also when the spades were 4-2 and the king of diamonds was onside doubleton. There would be no second entry to the South hand to repeat the diamond finesse. South did cash the ace and queen of spades, but when East followed with the nine and jack, South decided that the spades were unlikely to be splitting 3-3. Was he down to hoping that West held the king of diamonds doubleton?

No! South overtook the queen of spades with the king, creating a second spade loser for himself, and led a diamond to the jack. When that won, he led a heart to his queen and repeated the diamond finesse. He cashed the ace, felling the king, and led another diamond and discarded his remaining club. West ruffed and cashed his high trump, but South had the rest. Very nicely played!