Playing online (occasionally, I imbibe), I held:

QJ10
KJ102
AQ653
2
. With neither side vulnerable (IMP scoring), my partner (anonymous) opened 1. What should I respond? With only one bid to make, I recommend bypassing diamonds and showing a 4-card major. Here, I had enough to bid more than once, so I went in normal order with 1. Partner's rebid was 1. Now what? I have enough to force to game, but with no agreements, I didn't even know if 1 was available as 4th suit GF (some players use 2 as "4th suit" in this situation and use 1 as natural). Fortunately, I had another way to make a GF heart raise. No, not a jump to 4, but a Splinter jump to 4. Even without discussion, partner (this was at an "experienced table") would recognize this as showing 4 hearts, 0-1 clubs, and enough for game.

At this point, take a look at the full deal. I'd like to present the facts, and see if you can tell me if any errors were made:

Vul:None Dlr: South	QJ10 KJ102 AQ653 2
9876 95 9 AQJ954		K43 864 J10872 K3
	A52 AQ73 K4 10876

In actuality, after 1-1-1, West took the opportunity to overcall with 2. I still made my splinter jump to 4 and South got exuberant and Blackwooded into 6.

West led the 9 and declarer played skillfully, or so it may seem. He won the Q in dummy and drew only 2 rounds of trump. He then tested diamonds. If they were no worse than 4-2, he'd be fine. When they turned out to be 5-1, but with the "1" having only 2 trumps, he was still alive. After K and A, he played dummy's singleton club to the 3, 8 and 9. West continued spades. Declarer was now able to cash all his winners (3 spades, 3 diamonds) and then trump dummy's 2 little diamonds in his hand to make a beautiful 980.

What went wrong? What went right might be quicker to answer.

Had declarer drawn a 3rd round of trumps right away, he would have failed (ending up with an extra diamond in dummy that he couldn't ruff). But, when declarer led the singleton club from dummy, East missed his chance. He could have risen with the K to play a 3rd round of trumps. That would have set the contract.

Accordingly, declarer should not have given East the chance. At trick two, he should anticipate the play and lead a club himself! This would be bad if spades were 6-1, but likely, East would have bid with six spades. Declarer can win any return, cash two trumps (as before) and then test diamonds. This time, he can take 12 uninterrupted tricks--without ever letting East in to play that fatal 3rd trump.

However, the last laugh goes to the defense. West could have set the contract by leading his singleton. True, it seems like a strange lead when you know your partner has no ace (from the auction), but as often happens, a singleton lead causes impossible handling problems. Declarer can't give up a club (East can win and issue a ruff), so he has to start by drawing 2 rounds of trump. Then, when he does have to give up the lead, East can win the K and play that decisive 3rd trump.

All of these points and counterpoints are actually quite common themes that experienced players run into over and over throughout the course of a life of bridge.