[Phil]

I watched an interesting 3♠ (ignore the title - I'm not 100% sure about the bidding either - I'll look it up) hand from the European Juniors last week. I could be wrong, but I believe this was in the France / Greece match:

---

The defense started with ♣AK and a 3rd club, declarer pitching a heart. The ♠9 saw RHO show out, not unexpectedly and LHO ducked. Obviously if LHO wins, dummy can take the force on the 4th club.

Declarer led the ♠J, again ducked - the defense playing a patient game. Declarer played a diamond to hand and led a heart up which LHO flew ace and exited a heart to the King wich left this position:

---

How would you continue from here, needing 3 of the last four tricks?

[semeai]

West has ♠Kxx and two other cards.

I can't make if West has no diamonds: On a diamond lead, West ruffs low and later scores ♠K. On a spade to the 10, West will be able to tap me. On a spade to the A, if a diamond next West gets a low ruff, and on a spade next West can tap me. On a heart lead ruffed in hand, West follows or pitches, and then see above for diamond/spade lead next.

Assuming West has a diamond, I can make: Cash ♦A, then ruff a heart. If West follows/pitches, I exit a diamond. If West ruffs in with ♠K, he's down to ♠xx and one more card. I now ruff the next lead in dummy (or win it, in the unlikely case it's a diamond).

[Phil]

Yes, cashing the ♦A is right followed by a heart ruff and this is what the actual declarer did. LHO's actual shape was 5224, and he was Kxx=0=0=1 in the endgame.

Note that this line also works if LHO is 5233.