your play

[patroclo]

[hv=pc=n&s=s642haq542dcaj543&n=saj53hk763dkq32ck&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=1hp2sp3cp3hp4dp4np5sp6hppp]266|200[/hv]

West start Diamond j for k and ace.

Your play

[Free]

Discarding a ♠ seems the best thing to do. We can later discard our 2nd ♠ on ♦Q and setup a crossruff.

[mfa1010]

First thought:

 

Ruff, ♣K, ♦ ruff, ♣A, ♣ ruff.

 

If ♣Q came down third, I pull trumps. If not:

 

♦Q, ♦ ruff, ♣.

 

If west has ♣Qxxx, I have to ruff high and hope for trumps 2-2. If east has ♣Qxxx, I make with trumps 2-2 or 3-1, since west has to insert a middle trump on the fourth club to avoid a complete cross ruff for 12 tricks. And when he does, I can pull trumps after all even when they were 3-1 (I have only ♥AQ doubleton left in hand at this point).

[patroclo]

The hand[hv=pc=n&s=s642haq542dcaj543&w=sk9htdjt9876cqt97&n=saj53hk763dkq32ck&e=sqt87hj98da54c862&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=6hppp&p=djdk]399|300[/hv]

[Fluffy]

You should wait a bit more than 100 minutes to post the full hand.

[nige1]

[hv=pc=n&s=s642haq542dcaj543&w=sk9htdjt9876cqt97&n=saj53hk763dkq32ck&e=sqt87hj98da54c862&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=6hppp&p=djdk]399|300|

Patroclo asks how to make 6♥ on a ♦J lead, covered by ♦K and ♦A.

 

 

 

At the table, I would ruff ♦A and go down. Free cleverly sussed out that the key-play is to discard a ♠ at trick one. Thus, you preserve sufficient hand-entries to ruff two ♣s in dummy. You finish by drawing trumps and cashing ♣AJ. Thank you, Patroclo, for an interesting and instructive deal. [/hv]