I USUALLY try to bring you hands which don’t need a ton of concentration, but today’s hand involves some vital spot cards so you need to give it some thought.One tip — a top-class defender in the South seat failed to find the right answer.

Dealer: East. Neither Vulnerable!North

[spade]Q

[heart]Q J 9 7 6 2

[diamond]Q 8 5

[club3 2

West East<$>

[spade]J 8 3 [spade]K 10 7 5 4 2

[heart]8 [heart]10 5 4

[diamond]K 6 4 3 [diamond]7

[club]K J 8 5 4 [club]A 10 6

South

[spade]A 9 6

[heart]A K 3

[diamond]A J 10 9 2

[c]Q 9

West North East South

Helgermo Helness

— — Pass 1[diamond]

Pass 1[heart] 1[spade] 2[spade]

3[heart] Double 3[spade] 4[heart]

Pass Pass 4[spade] Double

Pass Pass Pass1. Good hand with a spade rise.

This deal was played in the semi-final of a knockout team game.

Your opponents are world-class players Geir Helgemo and Tor Helness.

They both pass the first round of bidding, and then they bid to four spades after a competitive auction.

You lead the heart ace and see the West hand as dummy.

At the table, South switched to the ace of diamonds and led another diamond won by the king as declarer discarded a heart.

A low spade was led from dummy to the queen, king and it’s your play. Would you win or would you duck?

That’s a trick question because it’s too late — the contract can no longer be defeated.

If you win or duck, declarer has a choice of plays to make the contract.

South realised later that he could set the contract by continuing with a heart at trick two.

Declarer has to ruff it in dummy and when South regains the lead, he can lead a third round of hearts.

This establishes his nine of spades as the setting trick.

How would you have defended?