This deal from a
Cheadle Hulme Duplicate shows the difference between pairs and
teams. After a strong notrump and transfer South arrives in a
contract of four hearts and receives the lead of the spade ten.
At teams this hand would be simple, just draw trumps and take the
diamond finesse making ten or eleven tricks depending on the success of
the finesse, any other play would be too dangerous, risking going down
if the spades split seven one or the diamonds five one. At pairs
it is more complicated. If South can ruff a spade in hand there
is an extra trick available. This will need reasonable
breaks. It is convenient to take the diamond finesse at trick
two. When that holds (against this opposition you can be fairly
sure that West has the diamond king) South loses a club trick to help
communications and another spade is returned. South cashes the
ace and jack of hearts, noting that East plays the ten. Now a
club is ruffed, a spade is ruffed with the nine of hearts and South
plays the diamond jack, West covers, the last trump is drawn, a diamond
is played to the nine another club ruffed and the ten of diamonds is
the last trick, making twelve for a good score.
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