This is aHand:

Another deal on the key element of Counting your tricks.

Once or twice in the past we might have mentioned this point to you...

What was that phrase again?

Oh yes... Count – Plan – Execute

Bidding.

As dealer, we open 1♣ and see partner respond 1♦.

We rebid 1NT to show a balanced hand of 12 to 14 points and partner has plenty to raise us to game.

Play.

Against 3NT West leads the ♥6 and we pause to take stock and to Count and Plan.

As ever, we must count our top tricks. Here we can see three Spades, a Heart and three Diamonds. That’s seven on top with a second Heart trick guaranteed by the lead. That’s eight – where’s the ninth?

We play low from table at trick one, of course, and East takes his King. A Heart return is a little annoying as it takes out an entry to the table. What now?

Any attempt to set up Clubs is doomed to failure. Not only do we lack the intermediate cards to make that venture safe, we would also lose the race to set up our long suit. Even if we could lose just two top Clubs, we run the risk of losing two Clubs and three Hearts. No good. We need a better Plan than that.

What about Diamonds? Well, a 3-3 break would allow us to score five Diamond tricks and an overtrick. If we were desperate for five Diamond tricks that is what we’d have to play for. Here, though, we only need four Diamond tricks and the safety play (compare this deal with Hand 2) is to duck a Diamond.

Sure, this play would cost us a trick should Diamonds spilt 3-3 but on the more common 4-2 break it ensures four Diamond tricks (and the contract). So, having taken the ♥A, we play a low Diamond from dummy.

East takes his ♦9 and plays another Heart but we are almost home and dry. If Diamonds broke 5-1 we’d be down; we have to hope that both opponents follow to the next round of the suit. We take the ♥Q, cash a Diamond and note that both East and West follow suit. Excellent! We cash three more Diamonds and finally take the three top Spades.

Contract made via three Spades, two Hearts and four Diamonds.