Bridge

THIS is the most interesting technical hand from the Ladies Home International series, held last month. Not surprisingly, it proved too difficult for the players and most online commentators.

A low spade lead should scupper 3NT but was too hard to find. At three tables, West led their partner's suit and the heart seven was won by declarer's knave. The diamond knave was run to East's queen and the Welsh East cashed her club ace, giving declarer nine tricks.

The other two defenders, including Scotland's Veronica Guy, did better by continuing with the heart ten to dummy's queen. A club from dummy was taken by East's ace, and the king of hearts forced out declarer ace. Both Souths went wrong now, leading a diamond and going one down.

Instead, South must cash her top two clubs. East can't afford a diamond, nor a heart (declarer would give up a diamond since the defence has just four tricks). So East must throw two spades. See what happens when South exits in hearts. There isn't an endplay on East, since dummy cannot retain three spades and two diamonds when she takes her top two heart tricks. Dummy i down to K107 of spades and singleton diamond ace, while South keeps A52 of spades and a club. East can play a diamond, but on this trick West is fatally squeezed by her partner's exit card, unable to discard from Q96 of spades and jack of clubs without conceding a ninth trick.