Hyman Rickover, a four-star admiral known as the Father of the Nuclear Navy, said, "Good ideas are not adopted automatically. They must be driven into practice with courageous patience."

The necessary play in this deal would not be found automatically by someone who had not seen the theme before. And even then, it takes courage, whether patient or impatient.

How can East-West defeat three no-trump after West leads the diamond queen?

North used a transfer bid, then rebid three no-trump to offer a choice of games.

South starts with six top tricks: one spade, one heart, two diamonds and two clubs. He will aim at a third club trick and try to make use of dummy's spade suit, planning on taking two finesses.

South wins the first trick and plays a low spade to dummy's 10. How does East defend?

If he wins, a second spade finesse will give declarer at least four spades, one heart, two diamonds and two clubs. Or, if East ducks, South takes a winning heart finesse. Then he cashes the club ace and ducks a club, getting that bad news. However, he takes the next diamond, crosses to the spade ace, and repeats the heart finesse to collect two spades, three hearts, two diamonds and two clubs. What's the problem?

At trick two, West must courageously play his spade king. Then, assuming declarer wins with dummy's ace, East takes the second spade trick, and the contract will fail. (East uses the bidding as his guide. With three spades, South would probably have bid four spades, not passed out three no-trump.)

Note also that if South has the spade queen, West's king is dead anyway.

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