For both the defense and the offense, notrump is a race. In 3NT, declarer thinks, "How can I establish my nine winners before they establish five." The opening leader (and later his partner) reason the reverse.

In the hand shown, West made the standard lead and found declarer's vulnerable spot (entendre intendre).

South's road is clear if he uses the following approach — an approach common to all notrump contracts.

Step 1. Count the cashable winners. Six clubs and two diamonds make eight. "Cashable" is defined very strictly. If there is any possibility that you must lose the lead before the winners are actualy cashed, the cards are not cashable. For example, despite the honors we see in dummy, there are no cashable spade cards in the beginning since declarer is missing spade cards that are higher than those he possesses.

Step 2. Subtract this winner count from the goal. Eight from nine leaves one. *¹   Declarer needs just one winner that he doesn't already own.

Step 3. Count how many times you can afford to lose the lead. This time, declarer can afford to lose the lead only once. With the diamonds already pushed on the opening lead, only one diamond stopper stands between the defenders and a two trick set consisting of three diamonds, two spades and a heart.

Step 4. Use the above numbers to understand the goal: How can declarer establish at least one more winner without losing the lead twice.

If necessary, process of elimination works.

There are only two suits to attack. If declarer tries spades, he might play the Q on the first round, but when it loses, the other missing high honor is still missing. That other high honor will cause him to lose the lead twice, one time too many.

The answer then is as follows: Whichever hand has won the opening lead is unimportant. Declarer will lead a small heart toward the opposite side of the table, planning to play an honor if the intervening opponent plays low; but playing low if the intervening defender loses his composure and flies with the A. After that, it should go without saying that declarer will take the money and run, cashing those nine or ten established winners without further ado.

Notice that South could also lay down one of the heart honors at trick two and give the opponents a similar miserable choice.*¹ Many hands don't offer this many pleasant choices.

Also notice what a disaster South could make of the hand if he played his second diamond before attacking the hearts. He would be establishing the opponents tricks rather than his own.*²

Notrump Pointers
for Declarer

1. Before following in dummy at trick one, count your cashable winners and subtract this number from the number of tricks you need; that's how much work is cut out for you.
2. Count the number of times you can afford to lose the lead.
3. Attack first the suit most likely to get you the additional winners you need.
4. Be careful not to sacrifice high cards unnecessarily. Consider playing a small card toward an honor instead of laying the honor down.
5. You usually shouldn't cash out until you've established all the winners you need.

*¹ You didn't think Bridge was going to be this easy, did you?
*² You can inadvertently do this in situations that are more subtle. Generally speaking: Don't cash your original winners before you've established all the tricks you need.

Further reading on this topic:

How To Play A Bridge Hand   William S. Root.
Crown Publishers. New York. 1990.
ISBN 0-517-57457-8.