[ahydra]

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All nonvul IMPs, North opens the bidding with a weak notrump and shows a maximum without a 4-card major, ending in 3NT. Partner (East) leads the ♥10 (standard leads) which declarer ducks to your J. What next?

ahydra

[inquiry]

Not sure, what you played to trick two? There are only two reasonable cards. A high heart (not my choice) or the club queen (my choice). I don't think you can be faulted too much for either of these options. High heart is only way to ensure a set if it can be set. High club is the best chance (imho) not double dummy, since i don't think there is ever a hand where leading the club queen will set it (double dummy). My long winded thoughts are in the spoiler.

Spoiler

Partner has at most a queen and probably just a jack (declarer with 14 leaves a jack for partner, but declarer with 13 hcp and five diamonds or some optimist north's with 13 hcp will treat those as maximums too).

If partner has only one hcp, it is a minor suit jack. Let's count declarer's top tricks. He has 1♣ (the king is correctly placed), 1♥, three spades (AKQ), and three diamonds (AKQ), but, if declarer has four diamonds, as is extremely likely, he has fourth diamond, and in addition, he will have either the diamond jack (his fourth diamond even if he has only 3 diamonds) or the club jack (his 2nd club trick even without four diamonds). So it looks like declarer is "doomed" to make this (there is a deceptive play coming however (see below).

If partner has 2 hcp, it is in the form of the ♦Q or ♠Q or the two minor suit jacks. If partner has the ♠q, declarer has 2♠, 4♦, 1♥, and 2♣ and little choice but to hook the ♣queen.

Partner holding the ♦Q is your one realistic chance to defeat the contract, but he will need the ♦T as well. And even more than that, declarer will have to be precisely 4-4 in the minors: if north has five diamonds partner's QT falls, and if partner has four diamonds, declarer will test clubs finding you with four, and because of your diamond switch after cashing your last high heart, play you for three hearts. and throw you in on trick 11 for a lead into the ♠AT in dummy.

That seems a very long shot. Declarer might not be 4-4 in the minors, or might have the ♦T himself. The ten is important because declarer can win 3♦ with KJT in his hand (Ace fourth in dummy), 2♣, 1♥ and 3♠.

Partner holding both minor suit jacks is the final option. If he has Jx of Jxx of diamonds, declarer will quickly come to nine tricks with 4 diamonds, 3 spades, 1 heart and the club king. And if declarer only has three diamonds a clever declarer who will figure when you show out in diamonds that your are 4-3-2-4 will endplay you on trick 11 again -- after cashing kq of spades, to force you to lead away from J9 of spades into dummy's AT.

So if you are pragmatic, returning a heart at trick two and playing partner for precisely ♦QTx is the only chance. However there is a routine deceptive play here you can try (thanks to the club ten in dummy), that may very well defeat declarer if partner has the ♣Jxx or ♣Jx. Win the first heart and switch to the club queen. Several good things can happen, starting with declarer ducking the king. When the queen wins, exit the club two. If declarer ducks again, and partner held Jxx he can win the jack, return the suit and declarer is down before he wins a single trick. If partner has Jx doubleton of clubs and four diamonds to the JACK-NINE or better, he can win the club jack and exit with a heart, after which declarer can not make.

I think a declarer who is (23)44 in the minors would not treat a 13 count as "maximum" so I believe club queen is best chance to defeat this. But if partner did have QTx in diamonds and three clubs, I would have some explaining to do...