Careful play

In this 3NT yesterday my partner, Håkan Nilsson (all time #2 master point holder in Sweden), showcased his good technique:

A752
52
AJ432
AQ

K94
AK8
K975
753

Dummy showed spades and declarer 11-13 balanced. West led H 6 (3rd/5th) to the Q and K. He decided right away that he wouldn't finesse in diamond and therefore started with a low diamond from hand for the safety play.

This was one of those occasions when it was needed as West discarded a small spade and when the club finesse was offside, 9 tricks was the limit (and a 90% score). Safety plays like this are easy when presented with the deal on paper but all to frequently missed at the table, especially in a pairs tournament.

This day, justice was served.