[rhm]

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2NT was minors, both doubles showed values

West leads the ♦A and East follows with the 8
Plan the play. (Assume expert defense and be specific)
When you start playing trumps West will follow

Rainer Herrmann

(Hand taken from German Bridge Journal)

[MrAce]

Looks like W has something like x xx AQJxx KJTxx . We can not make if he has stiff or void ♥

Since you asked the problem at the point where it is W who will play, I am sure we need to unblock ♦ T or 9 for sure. Joke aside that is logical move anyway.
When/if W continues with ♦Q we will need to duck 2nd ♦ and unblock remaining ♦ spot from hand. Not that we are scared of ruff, East can simply discard something, say ♥, and due to lack of entries to dummy we are looking at 2♦ +2♣ losers.
But if we duck 2nd ♦, we will create entry to dummy.

a-They will continue ♦ and a1-East will ruff, then we certainly have 3rd trump as entry to dummy t discard ♣ losers a2- East will duck 3rd ♦ and refuse to ruff which then we will continue 4th ♦ to reach our goal.
b-They will attack clubs, then simply ♦ will be entry.

EDIT: We unblocked remaining ♦ spot because if W plays 3rd dia and E decides not to ruff, we would not be able to play 4th ♦ due to being in hand and due to lack of unblock.

[wanoff]

As he said, unblock the diamonds. They have to keep playing diamonds to remove the entry but East can't ruff if an entry in trumps would result.
On ♦K pitch ♥A to cash the top hearts. Losing out to a void heart.
If East pitches a club at any point, you could switch to an endplay line.

[Kaitlyn S]

I believe if you play the DK at trick 2 or 3 and East ruffs, you are home free with 6 spades, 3 hearts, and the CA so the problem comes when East doesn't ruff the DK. If you toss the HA, you'll need both the HK and HQ to cash - making when West is 1255 but not 2155; and if you draw trump you'll make when West is 2155 but not 1255 (unless East has C-KQ.) As East should almost know my hand, I don't see any way of playing my diamonds to encourage him to ruff. (What an interesting defensive problem for East!) East is 3712 or 2812. Might East have bid differently with one of these shapes? With 2812, East might be more likely to bid 3H or passed and corrected to 3H if doubled. 2812 is less likely to be dealt.

A possible improvement is that when the DK wins at trick 2, lead a club from dummy. If East plays the CK, duck it, win the return and play 2 top trump. 2-2 trumps gives you the contract so assume East still has a trump. Cash the HA and CA and lead the S4, and East with nothing left but hearts will lead one, giving you 5 trump tricks, 3 hearts, the DK, and the CA.

If East doesn't play the CK, win the club, play 2 top trump and the HA, and toss East in with the third trump if he has it. This wins against 3811 in East as well. If East has the CK left, he can cash it for the 3rd defensive trick but declarer gets 5 trump, 3 hearts, 1 diamond, and the CA. This line loses to 3712 in East without the CK but I think it's the best line. I'm also pretty certain I wouldn't have found it at the table.

[MrAce]

Kaitlyn S, on 2016-October-22, 13:20, said:

A possible improvement is that when the DK wins at trick 2, lead a club from dummy. If East plays the CK, duck it, win the return and play 2 top trump. 2-2 trumps gives you the contract so assume East still has a trump. Cash the HA and CA and lead the S4, and East with nothing left but hearts will lead one, giving you 5 trump tricks, 3 hearts, the DK, and the CA.

If East doesn't play the CK, win the club, play 2 top trump and the HA, and toss East in with the third trump if he has it. This wins against 3811 in East as well. If East has the CK left, he can cash it for the 3rd defensive trick but declarer gets 5 trump, 3 hearts, 1 diamond, and the CA. [/b]This line loses to 3712 in East without the CK but I think it's the best line[b]. I'm also pretty certain I wouldn't have found it at the table.

It is not even remotely the best line, in fact it is a very inferior line.

W is obviously 1255 or he would lead his singleton which his pd bid by the way. But this is not important.
If W was 2155 and led ♦A, you can throw the cards in the air and they will fall back with 10 tricks .
The best line you suggest fails unless E has Kx ♣ when spades are 1-3 where ducking second diamond and making mandatory unblocks always make.

So shortly, with W 2155 and East 3811 Both trying to win ♦K at trick 2 and ducking it with unblocks wins.
When W has 1255 and East 3712 I always make, you make ONLY when E has ♣K
When W has 3055 and East has 1912 everyone goes down.
When W has 0355 and E has 4612 everyone goes down

How is the line you suggest suppose to be the best line, misses me by a mile.

[MrAce]

Kaitlyn S, on 2016-October-22, 13:20, said:

A possible improvement is that when the DK wins at trick 2, lead a club from dummy. If East plays the CK, duck it, win the return and play 2 top trump. 2-2 trumps gives you the contract so assume East still has a trump. Cash the HA and CA and lead the S4, and East with nothing left but hearts will lead one, giving you 5 trump tricks, 3 hearts, the DK, and the CA.

If East doesn't play the CK, win the club, play 2 top trump and the HA, and toss East in with the third trump if he has it. This wins against 3811 in East as well. If East has the CK left, he can cash it for the 3rd defensive trick but declarer gets 5 trump, 3 hearts, 1 diamond, and the CA. This line loses to 3712 in East without the CK but I think it's the best line. I'm also pretty certain I wouldn't have found it at the table.

It is not even remotely the best line, in fact it is a very inferior line.

W is obviously 1255 or he would lead his singleton which his pd bid by the way. But this is not important.
If W was 2155 and led ♦A, you can throw the cards in the air and they will fall back with 10 tricks .
The best line you suggest fails unless E has Kx ♣ when spades are 1-3 where ducking second diamond and making mandatory unblocks always make.

So shortly, with W 2155 and East 3811 Both trying to win ♦K at trick 2 and ducking it with unblocks wins.
When W has 1255 and East 3712 I always make, you make ONLY when E has ♣K
When W has 3055 and East has 1912 everyone goes down.
When W has 0355 and E has 4612 everyone goes down

How is the line you suggest suppose to be the best line, misses me by a mile.

[Kaitlyn S]

MrAce, on 2016-October-22, 14:52, said:

How is the line you suggest suppose to be the best line, misses me by a mile.

I missed the inference about West leading a singleton heart if he has it. And TBH I tried to figure out the line of play before looking at the other posts.

Now that I played through your line and understand that leading the fourth diamond works, I agree with it.