Dealer: East Vuln: E/W

When I was declarer on this hand West looked no further and cashed a second top club at trick 2 followed by a Heart switch and now I had no problem in making 8 tricks and gaining 2 IMPS on the board.

Now let's go back to the drawing board. To defeat 2♠ the defenders will have to amass 6 tricks.

It seems that West can count 2 Clubs and 1 Diamond and probably 1 Heart (if not two) as declarer opened 2♠ and will not have much outside the Spade suit so at the moment only 4/5 defensive tricks on the horizon.

What do you make of that ♣2? It seems partner is decidely trying to tell you not to play another Club at the moment. You have 5 Diamonds and dummy has four. Is there a remote chance partner is trying to send some sort of suit preference signal and asking for a Diamond switch? If so, this could lead to two diamond ruffs and the contract will go down.

With this in mind, at trick 2 play the Diamond Ace and when partner follows with the Jack you now give partner a Diamond Ruff. Because you were not hasty in playing another club, now partner can play a club back to your King and you can give partner another Diamond ruff and when he cashes the Heart Ace you have taken the contract one off without declarer getting in until trick 7.

You, with your partner's help, made 2 Clubs, 1 Diamond, 2 Diamond ruffs and 1 top Heart. for a well defended hand.