Bidding
Open 1H, partner bids 1S, you rebid 2NT showing a balanced hand and 18-20 points, partner raises you to 3NT. All Pass.
Acol Bidding
Open 1H, partner bids 1S, you rebid 2NT showing a balanced hand and 18-19 points, partner raises you to 3NT. All Pass.
Plan Before You Play
Dummy goes down, in NoTrumps count your winning tricks. Spades:3, Hearts:3, Diamonds:0, Clubs:2. Despite your point count you need to develop a winner with 10H, 10S or JC to make this contract. Spades are your longest suit, so there is slightly more chance in this suit than the others.
The Play
A diamond lead, lose the first 4 tricks discarding low clubs and low hearts. win the club return, lead out the QS and then 10S, west shows out of spades so east has JS, cover your 10S with AS. Enter your hand with AC as Plan B is to lead a high heart (AH) first, cross to dummy and then lead 10H towards KH. So cross to your hand with AC play AH, enter dummy with KS lead out 10H, East covers with JH, play QH and 7H.
Comment
You have 26 HCP and balanced hands but virtually nothing can stop you going light in this contract. Unless you are ruthless in leading from
low cards towards your high cards you cannot make this contract. Also in a tight contract you need to count the oppositions discards.
West discards a heart on your second round or spades, shortening his heart holding, allowing your 7H to be a winning card on the last trick. If east guards his hearts you cannot make this contract
