This hand cost us victory at the Amanora Pairs on 4th July. After I opened 1♦ our opponents reached 5♣ which Ashok doubled.

I led my ♠K and the declarer, Mr. Pramod Phadke, quickly wrapped up 11 tricks on a crossruff.

One of the kibitzers suggested that a trump lead would prove lethal.. would it?

Lets go over to the declarer's seat - You hold ♠ - ♥ 963 ♦ QT976 ♣ KQ986 as South, and participate in the following auction:

West	North	East	South
-	-	P	P
1♦	X	1♠	2♣
2♠	4♣	P	5♣
P	P	X	AP

West leads a Club. East wins ♣A and returns a small club, won by the King in hand as LHO discards a Diamond.

Here's what you see -

    ♠ AJ964
    ♥ AKQ2
    ♦ -
    ♣ T754


    ♠ -
    ♥ 963
    ♦ QT976
    ♣ KQ986


You have 3 hearts, 1 spade, 4 clubs and 2 ruffs for 10 tricks. Here's what is known about the hand -

Spades are 4-4.
RHO can't have 4 hearts, else he would've bid 1♥. So, hearts are 3-3 or LHO has 4.If hearts are 3-3, there's nothing to the play, so we'll assume a 4-2 break.

Therefore, LHO has a 4-4-4-1 distribution.

At trick 2, LHO discarded a diamond, so his spades must be KQxx.
Lets give him the ♥J for his 6th HCP.
That leaves him with AJxx / KJxx / AKxx in diamonds.
♦ AKxx with LHO is easy, you have him in a 3 suit squeeze. So, we'll concentrate on ♦ AJxx with LHO.

Here's the entire hand now -

	♠ AJ964 ♥ AKQ2 ♦ - ♣ T754
♠ KQ73 ♥ JT84 ♦ AJ42 ♣ 3		♠ T852 ♥ 75 ♦ K853 ♣ AJ2
	♠ - ♥ 963 ♦ QT976 ♣ KQ986

Club led, Ace and back, LHO throws a diamond. Diamond ruff, Spade ruff, repeat. Cash ♣K leaving -

	♠ AJ ♥ AKQ2 ♦ - ♣ -
♠ KQ ♥ JT84 ♦ - ♣ -		♠ T8 ♥ 75 ♦ K8 ♣ -
	♠ - ♥ 963 ♦ QT9 ♣ -

Poor LHO is out of his diamonds, but is still bravely holding on to the majors. With the ♦J out of the picture, you can now exit with the ♦ Q.
RHO wins his ♦K, but by now LHO has been forced to unguard one of the majors!

RHO can now give you your ♦10, or play a major to the now high dummy!