A hand from a league match earlier this month.

	K842
	Q1076
	AQ9
	AK

North-South vulnerable Dealer North

South	West	North	East
1	3	Pass	Pass
?

Your system constrains you to open one club on this balanced 18 count, West pre-empts and it comes back to you.

Choose your call and then scroll down.

























Passing will probably get you a plus score, but at this vulnerability bidding and making game will score more.  So, hoping that partner has some of the missing points, you try three notrump.

West leads the spade jack, partner tables a decent eight count and you now have to play it.

	A73
	85
	KJ73
	8742
	K842
	Q1076
	AQ9
	AK

With eight top winners you either need the spades to provide an extra trick, or to engineer an end play or squeeze for the ninth trick.
Duck the first trick and win the second spade, and then when you play a third round of spades West shows out.
You can't rectify the count for a black suit squeeze against East, so you must endplay West in hearts.  You hope she has fewer than three clubs.
Cash the ace and king of clubs, then four diamonds throwing a spade and lead a heart from dummy playing the ten (say).  West can take three heart tricks, but must concede the last trick.

The full deal was