SJ S5 S4 S2 - ok duck first trick is alright. I might win the it and start ♦
S3 S6 S9 SA - boo... Let's do some counting. We have 3♥, 2♠, 1♣ for six tricks. all we need is one ♦, we might be able to get two diamonds by leading diamond from dummy if WEST has Ax, Kx, or AKx or AKxx (with heart reentry). So I would win ♠ in dummy and play low ♦.
CA CT C2 C7 = BOOOOOOOO. Now can lose 3♠, 2♣ (at least), and 2♦. Just committed suicide. Remember to count tricks. And could lose more clubs, if clubs are not precisely 3-3. The diamond play was road to sure contract.
C6 C9 C3 CJ =
S7 S8 H3 SK = low spade as suit preference (opener had 5SP for bid, so we know he has QT left... so this lowest is demand for diamond back.. but look... EAST throws away the heart of great value. Those four hearts look poor, but if partner has two spades, and the diamond ACE (for the signal) and we have a club winner... declerar is toast unless he can take four heart tricks.. NEVER throw a heart here.
HA H7 H6 H4 = wakes up that not enough tricks if leads another club...
H2 HT HK H5
HQ H9 D2 HJ = heart nine dies now due to the earlier heart discard
H8 D3 C4 D6 = wouldn't nine of heart be nice here?
DT D7 D4 DA
SQ D5 D9 D8
ST DJ CK C5
CQ DQ DK C8
Just making. This is one less than it should have been if declearer had correctly won first or second spade in dummy and lead low diamond, then if necessarily cross to heart ace to lead another diamond.
So the bridge here was not very good by either side. Declearer's play turned a sure +3.04 imps for +120 into a mear +2.05 for +90. So Delcearer's bad play cost him 1 imp, but it should have cost him more. Down one would have been -3.00 imps for a negative swing of 6.05 imps... however, the defender's heart discard cost even more. Declearer's play was going to give him a 6 imp swing, but his careless heart discard gave five of those six back.
Did we learn anything?
Ben
West North East South
Pass Pass 1♠ 1NT
Pass Pass Pass
One spade is a tad aggressive, but the final contract of 1NT is not bad. The opening bid has encouraged a great opening lead of the ♠JACK