[oryctolagi]

Sitting South, I count myself extraordinarily lucky on this deal! But what's strange is, three other tables also made 3NT (plus one that made 1NT +2). Maybe the killer defence is hard to find?

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I can't deny that my heart missed a few beats when I saw dummy's clubs!

At our table, West led ♣7; East took the K and A (to which W followed with ♣8), then continued with a low ♥. I saw at once what the ♣ situation was, and tried to be as prompt as I could in going up with ♥A. I still needed four diamond tricks, so I had no choice but to run ♦Q, West followed with ♦3, captured by the K. Now East had a dilemma - where was West's entry?

East made the wrong guess and led a ♠. My sigh of relief must have reverberated across the internet!

How should this contract be best defended?

[rhm]

Fairly straightforward.
Unless South has opened 1NT with a six card diamond suit, where are declarer's 9 tricks if West holds the ♠A?
Of course in a sophisticated partnership West might signal his heart entry by following with the appropriate club. (A lower club than the 8 is certainly more to my liking)

But if you want to get anywhere in this game nothing beats logical thinking and counting tricks.
Concentrate on that instead of interpreting partner's signals.

Rainer Herrmann

[oryctolagi]

My feeling is, if playing simple suit preference, the play of the ♣8 on the second round is wrong. The entry obviously can only lie in one of the majors: signal with a low club.

But your point about the contract being unmakeable without ♠A is a good one.