The problem with 3♥ is that we have extras. If the auction proceeds 3♥ - 3N - 4♠, partner with 15 or 16 will pass.
3♠ has the advantage that partner can make a variety of slam tries below 4♠ so we will know if it's ...
You can't be forced to play in a contract that you know to be wrong from the earlier auction. 3♦ can't be natural or else partner would have shown a single suiter over 1N, but even if it were natural (on a hand that was too weak ...
On your example hand Kit, if we return hearts (or clubs) and declarer wins, pulls the last trump and exits a diamond to partner, won't he return a heart? In that case declarer can count out the hand and make on a trump squeeze against partner no matter where ...
True, the spade return on that construction is right for a different reason because we need to cut communications before declarer leads a diamond to the queen. I didn't think about this originally though declarer may well have ducked the opening lead if that was the layout, playing for ...
The only sensible layout from the auction where our play seems to matter is where declarer is 2227 and we need to get in twice (once with our club and once with our heart) to lead spades and break up a pointed suit squeeze on partner. The spade switch is ...
I think it's certainly possible that East has led from heart shortness on the auction. West didn't have a good opportunity to bid hearts and he didn't have the chance to double the cuebid. A club and diamond lead would look unattractive unless East has a sequence ...
We need the whole hand. I assume declarer played the ace at trick one but it wasn't stated. If we are getting in twice immediately then playing the 9 has some merit, if partner is getting in first then there's little point in playing the 9 now because ...