[inquiry]

This is a continuing the defensive play in 7NT where you and your partner are entitled to at least one tricks as long as you keep you winners and throw away your losers. This one has a simple solution.

You resist the urge to make a takeout double of 1♣, not everyone did. By the time the auction got back to you a second time, it had reached untold heights. You suspect that a spade lead would probably not hurt, so you double the response to RKCB.

South is undisturbed by your lead directing-double and he places the contract in 7NT.

In response to your double of 5 SPADES, partner leads the ♠3. (standard leads, normal carding agreement, normal discards).

Declarer cashes three clubs and leads the fourth, on which partner discards a low diamond.

1. What should your diamond 2 discard mean, if anything, at trick 2?
2. What should your diamond 3 discard mean, if anything, at trick 3?
3. What should your spade 8 discard mean, if anything, at trick 4?
4. If declarer cashes two winners after all his clubs, what cards will you still hold in you hand (be specific, state specific cards)?

If playing the carding agreement listed above, you feel strongly you should have carded differently, feel free to suggest a different carding sequence and why.

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[StevenG]

I can't actually find any layouts consistent with the opening lead (which I assume shows 1 card or 3) where West's discards make a difference - either the contract makes by force or goes down by force.

If West has led small from xx, giving South AK, then West has to keep ♦Qxx for the contract to go off (on the layouts where it matters). However, West can see dummy, and surely will do that anyway.

I assume I'm missing something, but I've been playing around with layouts in a DD analyser and can't see what.