[pescetom]

MP

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NS are playing 2/1 with 15-17 NT, 1♣ could be 2 in 4=4=3=2 and excludes 4 card diamonds unless longer.
West is usually conservative, but has faced aggressive pre-empts from NS in the past and maybe decided it was time to give them some of their own medicine.
North opts for 4♥ and South thinks there might be more, but they stop in 5♥.
The lead of ♦K is no surprise to declarer, but the dummy is.

1. Are you going to concede three tricks ? If not, what is your plan? (please use a spoiler for first 24 hours to allow as many as possible to think).

2. Are you happy with North's opening and choice of 4♥ and with South's decision to investigate slam (no spoiler required)?

[Cyberyeti]

I didn't open the north hand so we're not going slamming.

The most obvious way to avoid losing 3 tricks is for W to hold

Spoiler

8 diamonds to the KQJ and not the spade ace unless it's stiff, my plan is to draw trumps hoping for a 3-2 break. Cash one club and play spades, hoping E doesn't have a second diamond so I can cash 2 clubs and exit a diamond to W, or W is 1381 and is endplayed with the spade ace

[pescetom]

Cyberyeti, on 2023-March-09, 13:47, said:

I didn't open the north hand so we're not going slamming.

Fair enough, also a strong NT by South will probably not elict 4♦ at this vulnerability. But as South would you go slamming if North opened?

Cyberyeti, on 2023-March-09, 13:47, said:

Spoiler

The most obvious way to avoid losing 3 tricks is for W to hold8 diamonds to the KQJ and not the spade ace unless it's stiff, my plan is to draw trumps hoping for a 3-2 break. Cash one club and play spades, hoping E doesn't have a second diamond so I can cash 2 clubs and exit a diamond to W, or W is 1381 and is endplayed with the spade ace

Spoiler

You're painfully close, but it might as well be infinity.
Both respond to clubs, W takes your spades play with A and returns ♦Q then a small club.

[Cyberyeti]

pescetom, on 2023-March-09, 15:31, said:

Spoiler

You're painfully close, but it might as well be infinity.
Both respond to clubs, E takes spades with A and returns ♦Q then a small club.

Spoiler

OK, I see now, you cash both clubs in the hope that either W has 2 clubs and a stiff ♠A or E can cash a club but has to give you a ruff and discard to take care of the diamond

And no I don't go slamming, I'm actually not sure I bid 4♥ if I have opened, not going to go well opposite for example Kxxx and the two minor suit Qs, if partner can't act again not sure I want to be in this auction any further.

[pescetom]

Cyberyeti, on 2023-March-09, 15:40, said:

Spoiler

OK, I see now, you cash both clubs in the hope that either W has 2 clubs and a stiff ♠A or E can cash a club but has to give you a ruff and discard to take care of the diamond

Cyberyeti, on 2023-March-09, 15:40, said:

And no I don't go slamming, I'm actually not sure I bid 4♥ if I have opened, not going to go well opposite for example Kxxx and the two minor suit Qs, if partner can't act again not sure I want to be in this auction any further.

Two separate questions I think. As South in the circumstances I go slamming, as N who opened not certain which of my three options is best.

[pescetom]

Cyberyeti, on 2023-March-09, 15:40, said:

Spoiler

OK, I see now, you cash both clubs in the hope that either W has 2 clubs and a stiff ♠A or E can cash a club but has to give you a ruff and discard to take care of the diamond

Cyberyeti, on 2023-March-09, 15:40, said:

And no I don't go slamming, I'm actually not sure I bid 4♥ if I have opened, not going to go well opposite for example Kxxx and the two minor suit Qs, if partner can't act again not sure I want to be in this auction any further.

Two separate questions I think.
As South in the circumstances I think it's reasonable to go slamming, as N who opened not sure which of the three options is best.

[Cyberyeti]

I suppose if N overbids twice S might go slamming, I'd suspect something like Qx, Jxxx, AQ, KQxxx as a minimum for this auction so far, a minimum ish weak NT just passes over 4♦.

[akwoo]

If I'm going to open this hand in a strong NT context, I want us to be playing 14-16 1N, not 15-17. (Sadly there are pairs out there whose explicit agreement is 15-17 but upgrade an awful lot of 14s.)

4♥ is a gross overbid.

It's reasonable for S to go slamming at that point.

[pescetom]

akwoo, on 2023-March-09, 17:43, said:

If I'm going to open this hand in a strong NT context, I want us to be playing 14-16 1N, not 15-17. (Sadly there are pairs out there whose explicit agreement is 15-17 but upgrade an awful lot of 14s.

Not sure how this comment relates to the hand in question. I would open the South hand as 1NT with either agreement, would you not too?

[akwoo]

pescetom, on 2023-March-10, 09:36, said:

Not sure how this comment relates to the hand in question. I would open the South hand as 1NT with either agreement, would you not too?

I'm talking about North's hand. If I'm opening this kind of balanced hand on a regular basis, then my range on my 1N rebids is too wide if playing 15-17.

[pescetom]

Here's the full board, as played in a national simultaneous tournament.

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The solution of course is to take the diamonds lead with Ace, pull three rounds of trumps, two rounds of clubs and then a spade to the stiff Ace: West takes a diamond trick but is then forced to continue in ruff and sluff.

Alert readers will have noted that the North hand in OP was slightly different: I tweaked it to eliminate the red herring of possible stiff ♣QJ in West.

At national level, almost a third of those who played in hearts made 11 tricks. I suspect that some stumbled into the solution more or less by accident, after playing off AK clubs and realising that a third was doomed: maybe some others were graced by West after playing spades prematurely.
A surprising number made the top for NS of W 4♦x-2, although none in my club.