No Trump vs. Diamonds


A Q 10 9
A
A 10 6 5 4
A J 6
8 6 5 4 3 K J
J Q 10 9 7 5 4 3
7 3 2 8
10 9 8 4 Q 3 2
7 2
K 8 6 2
K Q J 9 Opening lead: J of hearts
K 9 5 Contract: 6 no, 6 diamonds

In no trump, I wouldn't blame any declarer who finessed into the K J tight in spades. After all, count your winners, and you will find that even with a successful club hook, you would still need a second spade winner. But with a little bit of luck, you could lose the first spade on a double hook, then take a successful second finesse, play the ace and drop the second honor for 3 spade winners, meaning you can escape the club hook. We can see it doesn't work, we can even see what would work, but that's not the way we play bridge and that would seem a reasonable line. I would only remind the reader that I've often suggested that on balanced fits a trump contract will often, though not necessarily, offer an extra trick on a ruff.
Most slam bidders were in diamonds, however, and here the calculus is reversed. You take one finesse in spades (after drawing trump), say the 9 into the J, and on regaining the lead, cash the A of spades and ruff a spade -- that is if the king doesn't fall. You're looking for the K to fall by the third round, which gives you an added chance over a second finesse, either in spades or in diamonds. If the K doesn't fall, then you take the club hook after pitching dummy's last spade on the K of hearts.
Do not play the K of hearts until you know what you want to throw on it. One declarer, taking the spade hook before drawing trump, got a heart back. It shouldn't have hurt since she can ruff in dummy and save the K for later use. But for some strange reason, she sluffed a club in view of West's ruff, for the setting trick! So quickly.
Hence, J of hearts to the A, three rounds of trump, ending in the closed hand, finesse Q of spades (or the 10). A heart back? Let it roll for a ruff, cash A of spades and ruff a spade . . or you would if the J (or K) didn't fall second round. Now you know you can sluff a club on the K of hearts and claim. If the second spade honor doesn't fall, you sluff the 9 of spades on the K of hearts and will have to take your chances with the club hook.