The point I was making is that I DID follow the Show Solution instructions as far as they went. They are not complete, and also do not explain how to avoid being defeated by the hearts at the end. I can get 8 tricks following the Show Solution instructions. However, in my case I can usually get 4 Diamond tricks because the Jack almost always falls and I can take the fourth trick with the 5D. You still have to try to get a spade trick (or on occasion two spade tricks (depending on the JD), but you also have no heart stoppers left because when you lose one of the clubs, the opponent immediately plays a heart, forcing me to use my last heart stopper. As I noted, I have tried every way I can figure to complete this hand, but cannot, even though I finished all of the other hands. I almost always lose the QC and the 10C, and almost always win the 5D. Even when I have to move to clubs because I cannot win the 5D, I still cannot take 4 clubs because they jump around to defeat any combination I try, including the partial method explained in the Show Solution, which I have tried a dozen times or more. If I win the C10 or Q, there is something else I can't take, leaving me with 8 tricks and the spade-heart gauntlet. When I lose a club trick, the opp (W or E) always plays hearts. When I don't lose a club trick, it's because I've only taken two. But then the opp still can win with heart tricks once they have my stopper while I try to take spade tricks. You have to get rid of two spade losers no matter what UNLESS you can take all 9 tricks before you have to play the spades. This I CAN do on paper, but the hand configuration has to be as shown when you first look at the solution page. OPP W: S 8,7; H J,10,9,8,6; D J,10,9,8; C 10,7; OPP E: S A,K,6,5; H 7,5,4,; D 7,6; C Q,6,5. N-S always stay the same as shown on the board. I would be most pleased to learn the total play sequence of the cards to achieve a win. Emily Volz
