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Answers to quiz on making tricks from a long suit 

   1. The diamond suit is a better chance (68%) than the club suit (36%). You must lose a diamond, preferably while you still have a high card control in that suit. If you took North's queen with your king, then North is the danger hand. A lead from her sets up South's long spades. If this is the scenario, then you must let South win your losing diamond. If, on the other hand, you held up your spade king and jack, South becomes the danger hand with the long spades, and you must try to lose your diamond trick to North. The hold-up play is actually inferior here, since canny defenders will keep communications open between the two hands and whichever hand takes the diamond trick you are in trouble. This is not the case if you take the queen with your king. South can do you no immediate harm.

    2. You have no entries to the heart suit other than the ace and king of hearts so you must duck the first round of hearts and pray for a 3:3 break when you make an overtrick !

    3. Your ninth trick can come from either the two of hearts or the diamond finesse. Clearly, both defenders will be in a position to attack the spades, should you lose a trick. So, if you try the diamond finesse first and it loses, you will have no chance to see if the hearts break kindly. Tackle the hearts first and  if the suit does not give you your ninth trick, you still have time to revert to the diamond finesse. Best of both worlds !

    4. You must duck the first round of diamonds and then if they break 3:2, you have five diamond tricks.