Playing in a pair event, you are first to speak.

What is your bid?

 South
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You open your longer suit. Yes, there's a premium for major-suit contracts but opening 1 does not stop you from reaching a spade fit.

Partner's 3 is an inverted raise, showing long diamonds and a weak hand. What do you bid now?

 South
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You could have jumped to 5, hiding your spade suit, but it rarely pays to do this. You can outbid them (spades over hearts) if partner has three spades with you.

At this point, your choice is 4 or 5.

Which will it be?

 South
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You rebid your spades. Partner still may have three of them, and you might buy the contract at 4. But LHO bids 5 and partner doubles.

Should you pass or take a chance on 6 with your wild shape?

 South
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If you bid, you will soon lose your partner. He doubled to stop you from bidding and you have exactly what you promised in the auction.

Before you can lead, your partner leads the king of spades face up.

This is a lead out of turn! But North puts down his dummy and now it's your play. South shakes his head, muttering: I thought I passed over 1. I must have overcalled.

What is your plan on defense?

 South
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You might play low. The only problem with low is that partner may have a singleton spade and six diamonds and he'll never reach your hand.

A simple idea is to overtake with the ace, cash the queen and lead the 7 for a ruff. If you do this, partner discards the 2 of diamonds at trick two on your queen, and then ruffs the third spade.

He returns a diamond to your ace and declarer follows. That's good! You have taken the first four tricks. What now?

 South
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Return a spade to destroy declarer's winner (his jack of spades).

Partner ruffs and declarer overruffs in dummy. Declarer then leads the 2 of clubs from dummy. What is your play, the 8 or the king?

 South
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You play the king of clubs on the first round. Otherwise, you'll soon be endplayed to give a ruff and sluff. After the king of clubs, declarer wins the ace and returns a club, but partner scores two club tricks. You take 6 tricks in all, for down 4, +1100.

Hey, that's even better than a slam in diamonds! Well done, one and all, and have a great week.

 South
   J 8 4 2
   A 9 5 3 2
   10
   A 9 6