David Berkowitz defended against this deal in my #1 source for deals, the South Florida Bridge Players Wednesday IMP Game. Later, he gave it to me as a declarer play problem, thinking it would make a Real Deal and here it is:

South opened 1 and North responded 1. South rebid 2 and North tried 3. South persisted in diamonds and North smartly gave up on 3NT (it has no chance on the normal heart lead) and leapt to 5.

	KJ762  A  32  KQ1082
	3  865  AK8754  A54

West led the Q and one declarer made it, the other didn't. I told David, "this one is too easy" for my column, but since one expert failed, Ill considered using it. Then David called another expert on the phone and gave this as a problem, and he also failed. With two out of three experts failing, can you avoid being in the 66.67% category?

All bridge teachers have a deal like this in their repertoire. It is a draw trump deal, the only question being how to do so.

Why is it a draw trump deal? You have to lose a spade and at least a trump. So, assume trumps are 3-2. If they are, you have a virtual claim. Any other line (as the losing declarers found out) gets messy.

As long as West wasn't dealt a club void or a small singleton (which he likely would have led), you make the contract by starting to draw trump at trick two. Right, just "starting." Duck a trump completely at trick two. This maintains complete control. You have a low trump left in dummy to handle a heart continuation. On any other defense, when you get in you draw trump. You take 5 tricks in each minor and the A.  Or, since I like to think about it as "what will you lose," you lose only a diamond and a trick in the wash (you throw away two losing cards on dummy's clubs).

Since two out of three experts failed, take some pleasure in finding the winning line. I still think this is one of the easier Real Deals I've published:

Vul:E-W Dlr: South	KJ762  A  32  KQ1082
985  QJ97  QJ6  J9		AQ104  K10432  109  653
	3  865  AK8754  A54