When North opened one club, South scraped up one spade and rebid two spades to sign off over North’s 1NT. East-West had 23 high-card points but no obvious way to enter the auction.

West led a diamond, and South took dummy’s ace and hastily cashed the A-K of hearts to discard his last diamond. He next led a club: six, jack, ace.

Things seemed to be going well for declarer, but West led a second diamond. South ruffed and led a trump, and West won and led a third diamond. South ruffed again, but when he led a second trump, East took the queen and ace and forced South to ruff a fourth diamond with his last trump. Then when South took the king of clubs and led another club, East won and took the 13th trick with a heart. Down one.

Declarer needed to exercise a little patience (maybe uncommon patience): His winning play is to finesse in clubs at Trick Two. Say West takes the ace, cashes a diamond and leads a third diamond. South ruffs and leads a trump. If West takes the king, he can’t profitably lead another diamond since dummy can ruff. If West shifts to a heart, South wins, finesses in clubs and leads another trump. He loses three trumps, one club and one diamond.

If West had the queen of clubs, South might go down an extra trick, but he would be unlikely to make the contract.