Too much information

I played in the North American Pairs in Detroit last March. I wasn't blogging then, so this deal was never reported. It's from the second qualifying session and hands are rotated. You are on defense as East:

                     ♠ K J 8 6
                     ♥ K 10 8
                     ♦ Q 8 6 5
                     ♣ Q 5
                                   ♠ 10
                                   ♥ Q J 9 6 5 4
                                   ♦ K 10 3
                                   ♣ 6 3 2

       West   North   East   South
       1♣    Pass    1♥    1♠
       Dbl    2♥     3♥    3♠
       All Pass

Partner's double showed three-card heart support. Your 3♥ bid was a "law" bid. You know your side has nine hearts (combined) so you competed to the three level.

North had a choice of cuebids, so his 2♥ bid showed four (or more) spades and a limit raise or better. He would make a 2♣ cuebid with only a three-card limit raise. South's 3♠ bid was weaker than a pass. North--South also have a combined nine trumps, so they are committed to compete to 3♠, if necessary.

Partner leads the ♣A and you play the 6. With ♣Q 5 in dummy, this shows three (or five) in your methods. Partner cashes the ♣K and you follow with the 2. You have unexpected help in diamonds, and you're trying to indicate that with your choice of spot cards.

Partner next cashes the ♥A and leads a second heart to the king. On this, declarer discards the ♦4. Declarer leads a low diamond from dummy, you follow low, he plays the jack from hand and partner the 7. South now plays the ♦A, low, low and you?

Too late. You have to play the ♦K in tempo. Here are all four hands:

                     ♠ K J 8 6
                     ♥ K 10 8
                     ♦ Q 8 6 5
                     ♣ Q 5
♠ Q 4 2                            ♠ 10
♥ A 7 3                            ♥ Q J 9 6 5 4
♦ 9 7 2                            ♦ K 10 3
♣ A K 10 4                         ♣ 6 3 2
                    ♠ A 9 7 5 3
                    ♥ 2
                    ♦ A J 4
                    ♣ J 9 8 7

I was declarer. I knew East had six hearts and three clubs. I needed to find out how many diamonds he had to decide how to play trumps. When East had three (or four) diamonds, I knew to play the ♠A and low to the ♠J.

I don't remember our matchpoint score, but 3♠ making four for plus 170 was a great board. You can see the hand record by clicking here and looking for board #3.