[HardVector]

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So you have arrived at 4s and received a low heart lead running to your Q, which wins, congrats. You now play a low spade to your K, and get the Q on your left and the 8 on your right. This is the question, not why we are not in 6 or how we got to 4, what happens right here.

There is a rule stating 8 ever and 9 never that says that with 9 cards in a suit you should play for drops...and we have 9 cards here.
There is another rule called restricted choice saying if you see an opp drop an honor you should play their partner for the other...which has occurred here.


Which one of these should your follow here?

[Polixenes]

Restricted choice will trump 9 never.
Stiff honour can happen in 2 ways whereas QJ can only happen in 1.

[harikannan]

Why is a lead made from a suit king-high? Perhaps he has kings in both red suits, club void ... and QJ tight in trumps. Then, he could have deceptively tried SJ, I guess.

[WasWinM]

Terrence Reese in his book Master Play analyzed this situation. The essence is that with QJ either card could have been played; therefore the play of one honor card implies the other is not held and there was no choice. A 3-1 break occurs almost 50% of the time. Supposedly, restricted choice offers an additional 25% chance although I don’t know if that claim has ever been validated.

[P_Marlowe]

9 never is true is used, if you have no add. relevant information.
Restricted choice is used, if you have add. relevant information.

Those two rules are not opposite to each other, they are used in different
situations.

If 1 honor showes up, you have add relevant information.