[Echognome]

Scoring: IMP

1♥ - (P) - 2♥ - (5♣)
P - (P) - X - All Pass

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You open a limited 1♥ opener showing 11-15. Partner bids a natural NF 2♥ showing 6-9 with 3-4 card support. RHO jumps in with 5♣ and partner doubles on the way out.

You lead the ♥K (count asking) and RHO ruffs. Your 1♥ only showed 4 cards, so partner gave you count which was an even number. RHO then leads the ♠10. And you?

[mikeh]

Partner has the ♦A... that much is clear.

Ducking the ♠ is unlikely to cost, but even less likely to win.

And what if RHO is 1=0=4=8? Or 10 = 0 = QJ10xx KQJxxxx or the like.

Count me in for taking my A and switching to the ♦K.

[FrancesHinden]

I'd put it a different way: if partner hasn't got the ace of diamonds this is likely to make (Jxx 10xxx QJ10xx K is just about a 2H bid, I suppose, but it isn't a double of 5C).

How can we gain by ducking the spade? Declarer is going to play us for the ace anyway, and has plenty of heart ruffs as entries to hand to lead spades up again.

How can it cost to duck the spade? Declarer can be 1-0-5-7 or 1-0-4-8 and we look very silly.

So we'll take the ace of spades.

Is there any hurry to take our diamonds? Probably not, but declarer could be 3-0-2-8 and we need to take them.

So I'll 'cash' the king of diamonds next. I'll pay out to partner's singleton king of clubs.

(Declarer did well by not touching trumps - if we knew how many clubs he started with our life would be much easier)