Lauryn Hill, a singer and songwriter, said, "Reality is easy. It's deception that's the hard work."
That is true at the bridge table. Anyone can play the obvious card. Finding a well-timed deceptive ploy takes imagination and smooth execution - neither an easy exercise.
This deal was originally described by Nils Kvangraven from Norway. He was told about it by South, Fredrik Helness from Norway. (Fredrik's father, Tor, is the world's second-ranked player.) Helness was in four spades. How did the play go after West led the diamond nine: three, five (low encouraging), jack?
North's two-no-trump response was an artificial inquiry. South's three-heart rebid showed a singleton (or void) in that suit.
Looking at the full deal, you would think declarer could lose only two spades and one diamond. The club finesse was working, and the diamonds could be established. But South did not anticipate the great defense by Morten Bilde from Denmark, sitting West.
Declarer immediately crossed to the heart ace and ran the spade nine. West won - of course - with his ace! Then he shifted to a low club.
South thought that if he took the finesse and it lost, East would cash the diamond ace and give his partner a diamond ruff to defeat the contract. This seemed an unnecessary risk. Instead, declarer won with dummy's club ace and confidently played a spade to his jack. However, West produced the queen out of his back pocket, cashed the club king and played a diamond to his partner's ace for down one. Cool!