This is aHand:

Often as defenders we're not initially sure how we're going to defeat the contract.

Sometimes we need to attack and grab our winners before the rats get at them. Sometimes it is best to lie low and do nuffin'.

What type of deal is this?

Once again, third hand proves to be the hero.

East has been forced into bidding 4♥ by North's pre-empt of 3♠. North leads the King of his suit and a slightly underweight dummy appears. Not that East could avoid bidding 4♥ (anyone with red blood coursing through their veins would do the same) it's just that it gives us hope of defeating the contract.

The sight of the cards on the table shows that we are sitting over the dummy and that we have its side-suit (Diamonds) well covered. This usually means we don't want to be on lead, and we certainly don't want to lead from our honors.

At trick one, we have a big decision to make. Should we or should we not take the trick? We decide to overtake the ♠K with the Ace for several reasons.

Firstly, Pard is looking at the dummy too, but he sees a different story. He sees those Diamonds, and visualizes them as a dump site. We know better, and we have to make sure that partner doesn't attempt to grab as many tricks as he can early in the hand. As we saw in the previous deal, when the dummy is a dumping ground, we usually attack our possible side-suits immediately.

Here, if we allow partner to hold trick one he is very likely to continue with the ♣A. (We don't know he has the ♣A, of course, but a Club shift from ♣J × × would be just as poor).

Secondly, we just love declarer (or dummy) being on lead. The more that happens in this hand, the better. Let 'em get on with it. 

After taking the ♠A we could play a trump at trick two (a really passive defense) but slightly better is to tap dummy by playing back a Spade. This makes it that much harder for declarer to get his Diamonds going. Declarer's plan will be to ruff out the Diamonds – he will hope for a 3-3 break (or the ♦Q falling in two rounds). Tough bananas, West, not today. 

Ultimately declarer runs out of trumps in ruffing two Diamonds in hand and drawing our three trumps. Rather unexpectedly partner takes the last three tricks with the ♣A and two boss Spades.

Note, though, that declarer can never play Clubs without giving us three Club tricks. The suit is classically situated – it is a frozen suit (whoever leads it, regrets doing so).

Patience is a virtue, we've been told. This hand shows exactly the kind of deal where it pays off: The hand where declarer doesn't have enough tricks. Also a hand where your honors, as third hand, are all behind the big hand.

On this type of deal you should pour yourself a brandy, sit back, sip your drink and watch the show. Declarer does all the hard work while your duties are confined to following suit and not falling off your chair.