Today’s hand is, once again, about thinking ahead and planning to try and make the hand even if the opposing cards are not sitting favourably (see Figure 1).

South opened 2NT showing 20-22 HCP and North, with her long diamonds, bid a Quantatative 4NT ( it is not Blackwood in this sequence) asking partner to bid the slam if he had the top of his range, that is 22 points.

It would be the same if the bidding went 1NT-4NT, partner is asking for the slam to be bid if the 1NT opener was top of 15-17 or 16-18 range . On this hand, having only 20 points from a range of 20-22, South passed and 4NT became the final contract.

West led the Jack of hearts.

The hand is clearly all about the diamond suit and needs some thought. Declarer won the heart and immediately played a diamond to the Queen which held the trick. Declarer now came back to hand with a heart and led another diamond towards the King- this lost to the Ace and another heart came back and Declarer now just had eight tricks and slid to a two-trick defeat.

Do you see where Declarer went wrong?

The full hand (see Figure 2).

Declarer must assume that East has the Ace of diamonds ( if West has it there is never a problem if diamonds are 3-2) and plan the play on that basis.

So, after winning the first heart, declarer must play a diamond and duck in dummy when West plays the 8! East wins and switches to a club but declarer is in control – he wins in hand and plays another diamond to the Queen – it doesn’t help East to duck, as now Declarer is in dummy and can play another diamond, setting up the suit. Now declarer makes 11 tricks with 2 spades, 3 hearts, 4 diamonds and 2 clubs for a big gain on the hand.

The key was the play of the diamond suit which left declarer in dummy to play a third round if the defence ducked the second round.

As I have often written here, try and avoid the “obvious” reflex plays and think ahead to what is needed if the cards are not lying well.