Step-by-Step Defensive Play

Interclubs Division 1, National Final (Saint-Cloud, September 2018).

West deals, East-West vulnerable. You are sitting East with the following hand, and the opponents reach 4♠ after a very straightforward auction:

Your partner leads the ♥K, and you see the dummy:

South wins the ♠A and continues with the ♠5, taken by your king.

What do you return?

Clearly, the fewer suits you open up, the better off you’ll be. Accordingly, you return the ♥3, confirming to your partner that you originally held four hearts.

South plays the jack, which is taken by West’s queen, who continues with the same neutral approach by leading a trump from hand with the jack. You discard the ♣3, showing an odd number, and declarer wins the trick with the ♠Q.

At the next trick, he leads the ♣5: West plays the ♣9, dummy the king, and you the ♣6. When he continues with the ♣2, you follow with the ♣8, taken by the ace (you now see the queen with West), and you gain the lead with the ♣J on the third round of the suit (your partner having discarded the ♥2). You are left with hearts, diamonds, and clubs.

Which suit do you return?