In the 1985 Team Trials I was the victim of one of the best defensive plays of all time. In a well-documented deal, Bob Hamman refused to overruff dummy and thereby gained trump control. His play resulted in 7 extra IMPs in a match that his team won by 5.

It took 15 years, but in the first session of the LM Open Pairs, my partner, David Berkowitz put me on the winning side of such a defensive ploy:

Vul: Nobody Dlr: West	Q 9 8 2 7 4 K Q J 7 2 K 6
K J 10 7 4 3 A 9 8 5 2 5 A		A J 6 3 10 6 4 3 Q 9 8 4 3
	6 5 K Q 10 A 9 8 J 10 7 5 2

West	North	East	South
	Larry		David
1	Pass	1NT	Pass
4	Pass	Pass	Pass

West's 4 bid might not be to everyone's taste, but the final contract was fine. I led diamonds and declarer ruffed the second round. He cashed the A and crossed to the A to play the K and then the J in this position:

Vul: Dlr:	Q 9 7 4 Q J 7 K
J 10 7 4 A 9 8 5		J 6 3 10 6 Q 9 8
	K Q 10 9 J 10 7 5

I followed with the 9, and declarer would have succeeded had he guessed to discard from dummy. But spades could have been 3-3, so he ruffed.

Now came the moment of truth. Declarer had ruffed with dummy's J, but even if the ruff was with a small heart, it wouldn't have made a difference. In either case, if David makes the normal-looking play of overruffing, the defense is finished. Let's see what happens if David overruffs. This would be the position with South on play:

Vul: Dlr:	Q 7 4 Q J 7 K
10 7 4 A 9 8 5		6 3 10 6 Q 9 8
	K 10 9 J 10 7 5

Declarer ruffs David's minor-suit return and ruffs another spade in dummy. Declarer would still have the A98. David could overruff this fourth round of spades, but the declarer would be in full control. Even if David pitched on the fourth round of spades, declarer could play a heart to the ace and another heart to make his contract.

Now, back to the position where dummy ruffed the J with the jack.Emulating Hamman's famous play, David discarded a club! Now the defense was in control. Declarer played a heart to his ace and ruffed another spade in dummy in this position:

Vul: Dlr:	Q 7 Q J 7 K
10 7 4 9 8 5		6 10 6 Q 9 8
	K Q 9 J 10 7

Again, if David had overruffed, declarer would have been in control (he could ruff any return and play a trump). So, David pitched again,this time a diamond.

Finally, the defense could rest. Declarer ruffed a club to his hand,but he was doomed. If he played a trump, David would draw all the trumps and get a club trick at the end. Declarer played a winning spade, but I ruffed with the 7 and David still had the KQ for a hard-fought down one.