What if you're not sure whether you can make game?
You must make a bid which asks partner to further describe their hand
Board 3 Dlr S EW Vul
Contract 3NT.
NORTH
© 62
¨ QJT95
§ AQ4
WEST EAST
© Q5 © JT983
§ JT985 § 73
© AK74
¨ 732
§ K62
South opens 1NT as dealer. North has a 'good 9' (because of the decent 5-card diamond suit). Knowing their total assets are 24-26, right on the partscore/game cusp, North may boldly bid 3NT at once or invite game with a raise to 2NT. South, with a maximum, is happy to accept the invitation and bids 3NT.
On §J lead from West, you can count as declarer seven top tricks. The only possible source of extra tricks is the 8-card diamond holding. You have strong secondary honours and can easily develop three winners, but only after first losing two tricks to the defenders' ace and king.
Again, you must do your losing early. Win the club lead in hand (conserving dummy's high clubs as later entries to dummy). You still have two stoppers in your three shorter holdings and can quite safely lose the lead twice. Play a low diamond from hand - West should duck this. You play the queen (or any but the five) and East wins with the king.
Rather than continue partner's club suit, East will sensibly prefer to switch to his good spade suit, playing ªQ. But whatever is led you will win and play another diamond. Whether West wins this trick with the ace, or the next (for you will play another round if he ducks again), you now have an easy road to ten tricks for a score of 4x30 + 10 + 300 = 430.
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