Source:Â Â 
  Bulletins
Sometimes one can see a good line of play for a contract but, by delaying the critical play as long as possible one may gain sufficient information to come up with something even better. Today’s deal earned Julian Klukowski of the Polish Seniors the award for the best played hand at the 1999 European Championships in Malta.
North/South reached 6
 with no opposition bidding. Possible lines of play after drawing trumps are to try for clubs three-three or the 
QÂ onside, or better, to first try a heart towards the 
QÂ and, if that does not provide an extra trick, fall back on the club finesse. On the actual layout, the latter line of play would have been successful, but Klukowski found a line which did not need either finesse to be succesful.
After drawing trumps, Klukowski played three rounds of diamonds, ruffing the third round. East threw one heart and one club. At this point declarer could be almost certain that East held at least five clubs, as it would be very unlikely that a good player would throw away a club when the club position could be crucial just to keep six or seven useless hearts.
On the assumption that East has five or more clubs, there is a sure line without risking any finesses. Klukowski just ran his spades, coming down to ace-jack to four clubs and the bare AÂ in the dummy and KÂ to three clubs and the QÂ doubleton in hand. If East had thrown two clubs, Klukowski would have cashed the KÂ then ducked a club to East, making the last three tricks with two aces and the long club.
If East throws only one club and therefore is down to a singleton heart, declarer cashes the A and if, as here, the king falls, he crosses to the K to cash the Q. But declarer does not need East to hold the K. If West has the K so that it does not fall, he plays a club to the K then leads a low club and ducks it, forcing East to win and lead into dummy’s  A J at trick twelve to give the vital twelfth trick.
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