Arnie Kohn

We are taught to count are losers when playing a hand at a suit contract. Very often the count of losers is more
then we can afford to fulfill our contract, so we have to find a way to establish enough winners to succeed.
Let us look at the following deal and cover the East-West hands and see if we can find a method to make ten tricks.

 
KJxx
Axxxx
xx
Kx
 

xx
KJx
Axxxx
J109

xxx
Qxx
Qxx
Axxx
  AQxx
xx
KJx
Qxxx		  

A very simple auction South 1-North 1 South 1 North 3 South (never refusing an invitation) 4 all Pass.
We count our losers, and see 1, 2 possible 's and one . In addition to these the Minor suits have other deficiencies. Our only source of tricks is the heart suit. The opening lead is the Jack, which is correctly allowed to come around to our Q. We delay the extraction of Trumps to establish our Heart suit, by playing a small Heart from both our hand and Dummy’s (this maintains communication). East will win and cash the Ace and lead a third Club which you Trump in Dummy. Now the Ace and a small trumped in our hand and we are happy to see the three-three split. We now draw the outstanding Trumps and cash winning Hearts discarding a Club and a Diamond. Our trick total is now nine and all that is left is a correct guess in diamonds, which we do by finessing the Jack. We now have ten tricks and have fulfilled our contract.