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Coup ‘en passant’ brings home slam for match-winning swing
Holding a long minor suit, always consider a no-trump contract
Set sights on forcing defender either to ruff loser or to allow all trumps to be scored
Ensuring losers are protected while establishing discard proves key to success
Need to retain both ruffing ability and entry to table crucial to success
When hands appear to be misfitting, do not introduce new suits
Key suit must be tackled correctly to succeed
Leave master trump outstanding to ensure capacity for ruffing out long suit
Simple but dogged suit establishment yields second overtrick and great result
Discovery play leads declarer to guess correctly and score best result
Anticipate misfortune — and plan a line to overcome it
Opponents miss trick with lead and pay by conceding game contract
Take time over choices: make an expert mistake, not an amateur one!
When a certain loser exists, question whether the timing of lost trick is crucial
Absorb full meaning of each bid before choosing to pass
Protection against fatal loser requires a trump in dummy
Defender reviews auction, play, and declarer’s plan to find brilliant counter-measure
Additional finesse offers salvation at odds of over 50 per cent
Bonus trap leaves opponents at your mercy
Having placed key cards, force defender to lead away from one
To succeed, understanding of entries, counting, and timing must all combine
While constructing plan, remain alert to later entry problems
As declarer, take time to check plan for potential weaknesses
Repeating cue-bid allows correct player to declare 3NT
Leave decisions until as much information as possible has been gathered
International Edition