[bluecalm]

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NT is 14+-17 (so partner could easily hope we can one of the aces in case he has AKTx).
Partner led A♥
What card do you play ?

The problem in case someone doesn't see it is that partner might be afraid we have Qxx if we play low and underlead in 2nd trick as he has no side entry. He may also try to find our side entry in case he started with AKTx.
How do you solve it in your partnership ?
What would you play from:
a) 75
b) 754
c) 7543
d) 75432
e) J75
f) J754
g) Q7
h) Q75
i) Q754
j) Q7543

[whereagles]

oh no, the dreaded N/E anti-compass notation

and.. huh.. which card did pard led?

[bluecalm]

Quote

oh no, the dreaded N/E anti-compass notation

and.. huh.. which card did pard led?

Thanks. Lead is A♥.

[FrancesHinden]

This suit combination is not completely soluble.
One minor point is that your leading agreements matter somewhat. For me the King is the strong lead (asking for unblock/count); the ace is either speculative, from AKx or AKxx(x) that doesn't fancy leading a low one, or AK10x.

As jlall says, it's a well known suit combination, so unless there are very special circumstances (e.g. declarer has denied four of them, so Qxx in our hand is not a problem) we signal as follows:

- encourage holding the queen
- discourage not holding the queen

Obviously this doesn't always work. But a lot of the time partner will have a good idea if we need to run the suit or not. If he has AKxx he's going to continue them anyway.

[whereagles]

Right. As above. Thx for doing the main work, Frances

[JLOGIC]

Just encourage slowly obviously!

Are we playing imps or MP?

Personally, at least at imps, I think on this hand that the best play on this hand is to discourage with the spade ace and Qxx of hearts, and encourage with no spade ace. Presumably partner if we discourage will shift to a spade hoping for a heart through in case we have something like Jxxx of hearts and the SA (all of this is because there are so many HCP/tricks in dummy that we know we need 5 immediately, unless my ace was diamonds and not spades in which case we will often survive a black suit shift).

That means when we encourage hearts, partners only shot is to play the HK. This should beat the contract whenever it is beatable, except when we have Qxx of hearts and the DA and declarer has 9 black suit tricks.

This is a good example of why I don't think some "rule" to cover this situation is a good agreement. I think my "solution" is better than frances's because partner has no idea if we have the SK or the SA, he will just be guessing. It seems like Frances's partner will either let them make when we have the SA and Jxxx of hearts, or let them make when we have no SA and Jxxxx of hearts, depending on what he guesses.