Hand of the Week

South opens 1D. It's a nice hand, only 4 losers, but not really powerful enough to open 2C or a strong 2D.

West will overcall. 1H is okay, but with a 6-card suit and a void it's maybe sharper to overcall a weak 2H. Another option if you play it is the Unusual 2NT, showing 5-5 in the two lowest unbid suits, here hearts and clubs. But the clubs are weak, I prefer 2H.

North bids 4S anyway.   East probably passes, but some may push to 5H.    If East passes, South should respect partner and leave it in 4S, but it's tempting to put it back to 5D. You know there's a lot of shape in the hands, when you've got a 7-card suit someone else may have too.   But it can often mean the suits are breaking badly. Also, 650 is a better score in spades than 620 or 640 in diamonds.    I don't think North-South can bid a slam here.

4S or 5S seems normal. No-one made 12 tricks in spades. A heart is led and North trumps. Now you start to draw trumps and discover the 5-0 break. You only lose one spade but it upsets your planning.    You would like to draw trumps and then use the diamonds to pitch losers from the North hand.   If you draw three rounds of trumps and then play on diamonds, East will ruff the third round with the 8 of spades and still get the Jack. If North continues spades with the Ten, East wins with the Jack and then maybe a diamond. Declarer has to get back to hand with a heart ruff to draw the last trump, then back to dummy to use the diamonds, 12 tricks.

7D is a bit of a miracle. You draw trumps and use the spades to pitch losers .... but how to get to dummy ? You could delay drawing trumps and ruff a heart to get to the spades, but when you lead the ace of spades West ruffs !   It only works because the King of clubs drops singleton, giving you the queen of clubs as an entry to the spades.   Draw trumps, ace of clubs, wheee !