This deal was played in the USA2 Final of the 2025 Senior Team Trials:

Vul:Both Dlr: North	KQ96  J863  A5  1096
	AJ10754  A95  1082  5

At both tables, East opened with 1NT (15-17) and South showed spades, ending in 4. How would you play with the K lead?

Plans at suit contracts start by analyzing what tricks declarer will lose. Counting from the long-trump hand, there are 0 spade losers, 2 heart losers and 1 in each minor (one of declarer's diamonds can be trumped in dummy). What can be done to reduce that total from 4 to 3?

The key is the heart suit. Here is the Real Deal:

Vul:Both Dlr: North	KQ96  J863  A5  1096
8  1072  KQ974  7432		32  KQ4  J63  AKQJ8
	AJ10754  A95  1082  5

Both Bobby Levin and Adam Wildavsky played identically (and skillfully). From the K lead they could place just about all the other missing HCP with East. As long as East didn't have the 10, they were in business.

They gave up a diamond and a club (the defense could not touch hearts). Eventually, they drew trump and stripped the hand ending in South to leave the following position:

Vul:Both Dlr: North	Q  J863 -- --
--  1072 Q9 --		--  KQ4 -- A8
	A7  A95 -- --

On the 5 play, West played low and dummy's 8 lost to East's Q. Now, East had to either play another heart (from the king) or issue a ruff-and-sluff. Plus 620 at both tables for a very high-level expert pushed board. No Senior Moments for these guys.