Q 8 K J 10 5 3 9 3 A Q 7 6
7 led
	A 10 6 A Q 7 6 2 K 8 5 4 3

W	N	E	S
			1
P	2NT	3	P
P	4	AP

As one might expect, East drops my K with his Ace. He returns the 4, which I ruff, West playing the 5.

Now here's the problem: I've already lost one trick and still I have three more likely losers, a spade and two clubs. I could draw trump and finesse in clubs. If that works, and clubs are 3-2, I'll lose only one club. But the problem with that plan is that the finesse is probably off. We're missing only 15 HCPs and East bid at the three level, so he's a favorite to hold the missing K. And the indirect spade finesse is even worse—not only is it likely to be off too, but even if it's on it doesn't help! It would allow me to discard a club from dummy on the A, but I'd still lose two clubs unless the club finesse is on. The club I discarded would be one that would become established. So that's no use.

Is there a better plan? Yes: I can save a trick if I can force East to lead. Any lead he makes (other than trumps) would help.

So I draw trumps with the King and Ace and lead the 3 toward dummy. I'm hoping to duck this trick to East, who would then be endplayed. The only difficulty is that West could foil my plan by playing an intermediate club, but I'm hoping she won't think to do that. Happily, she plays the 2. I call for the 6, and East is perhaps somewhat surprised to win with the 9.

But then East realizes that he is stuck. A spade or a club back gives me a free finesse, and a diamond gives me a ruff-sluff. After some thought East returns the 4. Now we'll see if I got it right. I play low, and West can only come up with the 9. The Q wins! I have no spade loser. I come back to the A and lead a club, finessing the Queen. It loses to East's K, but I claim the rest. We get 8.23 out of 11 matchpoints.

Moral: Before taking a finesse, especially one that is likely to lose, see if you can force a favorable lead from an opponent.

The full deal was:

	Q 8 K J 10 5 3 9 3 A Q 7 6
9 7 5 3 2 9 Q 10 8 7 5 10 2		K J 4 8 4 A J 6 4 2 K J 9
	A 10 6 A Q 7 6 2 K 8 5 4 3

P.S.: Come to think of it, even if West plays the 10 on the first club trick, I can still go up with the A, come back to my hand with a trump, and duck the next club trick into East. East can cash the K but then is stuck. That would have been even more fun. But I'm not sure I would have thought of it at the time.

[WBL Unit Game, B/C game, 9-8-2016]