Bridge - The Scotsman 26/04/2012
The winning defence is to cash the ace of clubs, then switch to trump so that declarer cannot score a heart ruff in dummy, but, unsurprisingly, no-one found that lead. The jack of diamonds was a popular choice, in spite of the dangers associated with a lead from Jx. Declarer can now make her contract by drawing two rounds of trump then playing four rounds of diamonds to discard the king of clubs before leading a heart from dummy. She appears to have four heart losers, but the defence has a dilemma. If South rises with the king to play a third spade declarer makes a trick by force with HQ109. If South plays low declarer puts in the nine and North wins the jack. She can play a top club for declarer to ruff, but now a low heart towards the seven gives the defence an insuperable problem. If North wins the eight she cannot stop the heart ruff in dummy; if South wins the king to play a trump declarer builds a heart trick.
One declarer played two trump, then led a heart, giving the defenders a chance to go wrong. But the Welsh North won and cleverly cashed the ace of clubs to defeat the game.