An Impossible Task?

Question

You need to make nine tricks in notrumps but you can only see six definite winners. Can you take the nine tricks you need without surrendering the lead to your opponents?

Try it in the context of the whole hand First, read the context notes below

You have four tricks in your hand (three aces and the king of hearts) and no prospect of any more, with all of your other cards being so small. There are only three definite winners in the dummy in diamonds, but if your opponents have three diamonds each, they will have run out by the time you have played those top three cards and your two little diamonds will be winners, giving you nine tricks in all. So making nine tricks is possible, but only if your opponents’ have three cards each in the suit. If one of them has four, they will be able to play their three smallest cards under your ace, king and queen and still have a winner in the suit, meaning that you can only take four diamond tricks.

Your aim is to make nine tricks with no trumps. Your opponents lead the king of spades, threatening to take a bunch of tricks in that suit. Play the hand from this point.

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