Before the transfer-addicted among you decide North’s initial response is a misprint — relax! This North-South pair was using the 2♦ cuebid as a major-suit inquiry — like Stayman — so that North raised to the nine-trick game after South denied four cards in hearts or spades.

West wrestled with his conscience and decided this was one occasion where leading his partner’s suit might not be totally productive and, in the absence of a lead-directing double of North’s response, West’s choice of leading his fourth-best heart looks pretty good.

South was delighted to see the lead had presented him with a second heart stopper as he wasted no time in capturing East’s queen at Trick 1 and then played on spades to force out the ace. East won the ♠A and switched to the ♥6, showing an even number of hearts remaining, so that West had no difficulty ducking the trick to preserve defensive communications.

Declarer soon found that, even though the diamond finesse worked, he didn’t have nine tricks without playing on clubs. However, the first time he led the suit from dummy, East flew up with the ace to return his last heart and dash South’s hopes

Too much of a good thing — that second heart trick had been South’s undoing. If declarer had simply ducked the first two rounds of hearts (as he would have done without the combining value of the jack and ten!), won the third and gone about his business of forcing out the black aces, he would have ended with the nine tricks required — even though only one of those winners would have been a heart.