[inquiry]

The 4NT bid was regular blackwood, North showed one ace and three kings on this auction.

On the opening lead, your partner tabled the ♦9.

We are going to turn this problem around a little bit. How can you contribute to the defense? Plan your defense with a eye on what you are looking for from partner to help you defend accurately. Is there any help you can give partner, too, of course.

Include in your analysis what you will discard on at least two spades and what information you need from partner to help you. How could he signal the info that you need?

You might start by considering two lines. Line one, he wins diamond King and runs five spades, line two he ducks diamond king and runs five spades.

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[kenberg]

A few thoughts on the general problem.

Spoiler

If declarer has six major suit winners I am going to have a discarding problem when he cashes his sixth. The issus appear to be:
a. If partner has four diamonds then declarer has three diamond tricks and no more, so I can discard a diamond.
b. If partner has the ♣Q I can discard a club.
c. At the moment I don't know if declarer has six major tricks, but I will soon find out.

What does partner know?

A. He knows that I stop clubs. No, he doesn't actually know this, but, unless declarer bid 7NT on a club void, partner knows that he doesn't stop clubs. If I don't, the hand is history. So he will defend the hand in the belief that I stop clubs.
B. He knows that declarer has x spade tricks. x is not known now but it soon will be.
C. He knows if he stops hearts. If not, this will be tough to beat. Assume he does stop hearts.
D. Therefore he knows that spades and hearts are a settled matter, and that the issues for me, his partner, will be in clubs and diamonds.
E. Exactly how he can help depends on what he holds, but if he started with four diamonds giving me count would sure help.

[Cyberyeti]

I'd love to know what you lead the 9 from first (we certainly don't from 9xx(x) whether we hold the 8 or not or 109(x)(x)).

Also I get to see one discard from partner before I have to discard, what is it and what does it mean ? and what is thrown from dummy ? heart and than another one ?

The best thing partner can do is to show his diamond count.

[kenberg]

I have come to think that my biggest concern is that declarer may have a five card diamond suit. That would give partner lots of cards in the majors, and even if he holds a heart homor maybe he could have led a spade instead of this diamond. Although the diamond lead has worked rather well in killing entries.

Here on some thoughts when declarer has at most four diamonds:

Suppose he has fewer than six winners in the majors. No problem he runs out of winners befor i have a problem.

Suppose he has six winners in the majors.
If he has four diamonds and the Qx of clubs I am cooked. So suppose not.
If he has only three diamonds a diamond pitch is fine
If he has four diamond and I am not cooked then what does he have in clubs? If partner has the club Q then a diamond pitch gives declarer four diamond tricks but 6+4+2 is 12, not 13.
If declarer has the Q alone in clubs (the remaining non-cooked case) then I would expect that he would win the first daimond in hand, cash his six major winners and the club Q, and go back to the board via the diamond K. This would work for him whenever clubs are 3-3, whenever the J falls doubleton, or whenever someone errs and pitches down to three clubs. So again I should pitch a diamond.

OK, maybe declarer has seven major suit winners. I.m cooked. three diamonds and seven majors. I come won to three cards. No can do.So I may as well toss a diamond.

Unless declarer has five diamonds, I am having trouble finding a layout where I should pitch a club.

This is a very interesting problem

I guess if declarer has five diamonds then partner might well be following suit as declarer runs has majors. Count here could be very useful And knowing how they would bid over the 2♣ response when holding five diamonds and four spades would be nice.

If someone wants to tell me I am nuts, now is the time, We are off on a trip tomorrow (Tuesday), although I will maybe get a chance to check in now and then.