Playing rubber bridge, you are South and open 1 on the
first deal.

Partner makes a forcing 1NT response and you rebid 2.

Now partner raises to 3. Do you pass or bid on?

 South You
   A 8 7 5 4 3
   A 10 2
   J 3
   K 6

Opening lead: 2

Your minimum hand hasn't changed. You've shown six
spades with your rebid of 2. Only an undisciplined player
would bid game. You pass and receive the 2 lead. Dummy
is nice, almost too good. If spades and hearts are 2-2,
you'll make 11 tricks! The problem in the auction might
have been your methods. If partner were allowed to bid
2 over 1, you would have located the heart fit, but you
were playing 2/1 game-forcing and that restriction ruined you.

Meanwhile, you'd better be careful. How many times have
you said to yourself, "We missed a game," and then gone
down in a partscore?

East wins the first trick with the ace of diamonds and returns
a low club. How do you play it?

 South You
   A 8 7 5 4 3
   A 10 2
   J 3
   K 6

Opening lead: 2

The only danger to your contract is if spades are 3-1. Then
if you lose a heart trick, you go down one. Make them help
you! You should win the king and ace of clubs and then lead
another diamond, forcing someone to break a major or give
you a ruff-sluff.

After you cash the clubs and play a diamond, West wins the
king and thinks before returning the queen of spades. What
is your plan if East follows with the 9?

 South You
   A 8 7 5 4 3
   A 10 2
   J
   K 6

Opening lead: 2

You plan to duck the spade if East plays the 9. If the
spades are 2-2, you are cold for 9 tricks and your contract.
If the spades are 3-1, maybe the queen is singleton and
West will be endplayed after winning the queen.

But in this movie, East thinks for a while and plays the
king of spades on the queen. What do you do now?

 South You
   A 8 7 5 4 3
   A 10 2
   -
   -

Opening lead: 2

You let him win the king. If it's a singleton king, again, you
are cold. He must play a heart or give you a ruff-sluff. But
it can't be a singleton, because he thought over the trick.

The danger in winning the ace was that East might hold
K-J-9, and you eventually might misguess the hearts.

After East wins the king of spades, he plays back the 9.
Now what do you do?

 South You
   A 8 7 5 4
   A 10 2
   -
   -

Opening lead: 2

You let it ride to dummy's 10. If the 10 wins, you have at
least 9 tricks. If West started with Q-J of spades, he is
endplayed to break hearts.

You played it well. In fact, you might make an overtrick
after pulling the last trump, if you guess hearts. Well done.

East was a clever defender. He made it as difficult as
possible for you. But you were smarter, making every move
in order to ensure your nine tricks.

THE END

 South You
   A 8 7 5 4 3
   A 10 2
   J 3
   K 6

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