Vul: Us Dlr: Pard				PARD (dummy) A 7 5 3 K J 10 9 - K Q 8 6 3
ME -- 1 3	LEFTY -- 2 Pass	PARD 1 3 Pass	RIGHTY Pass Pass Pass
				ME K 10 8 6 8 7 10 9 8 6 A 10 4

One curious thing about this hand: what's the diamond distribution? The opponents have a good nine­card fit at favourable vulnerability and they did not compete! I figure righty would have raised to 4 holding 4 diamonds and righty would have probably bid 4 all by herself if she had 7 of them. Therefore, I am guessing a 6-3 distribution, at least for now. This will hopefully give me a read on the trump position for later.

On with Plan A. I ruff with the 3 and cross to my hand with A, righty giving the 2 and lefty giving the 7. Now comes the heart: 7, 2, 9, A. Woo­hoo! Now all I have to do is pull 2 rounds of trump and cash winners until they ruff­ losing one spade, one heart and one diamond, assuming that righty plays back a diamond (best).

But righty doesn't make the best return of a diamond, but instead leads a spade, the J! What is going on? Is righty being cute with me? Afterall, he has the spade length. Unfortunately, his play doesn't give me any more winning options in the trump suit than I had before, so I continue playing for the 3-2 spade­break. I win the A and call for the 5. Righty fumbles and I wonder what's wrong.

He shows me the 2. That's what's wrong. I guess I should have won the K, hooked hearts, and pitched some diamond losers instead of extracting trumps. This semi­crossruff line would've secured my contract, but now I'm in a position of going down. I hate matchpoints.

PARD (dummy) 7 5 K J 10 - K Q 8 6

ME K 10 8 8 10 9 8 10 4