[LashOut]

Hi,

I'm at BBO Bridge Master Level 4 A-30 and can't understand why South should play a diamond to the diamond Q or J early.

Your reply is truly appreciated.

[johnu]

Well, playing a diamond relatively early means when you have at least one stopper left in the other 3 suits. So a diamond play could be postponed until mid hand if you still have stoppers in all 3 other suits.

But the point of the hand once the low diamond point to the queen has been made and finding west with 4 diamonds, is to run the clubs to force west to abandon a major suit. Then play off the winners in the suit that west abandoned, which forces west to abandon the other major, or diamonds. A diamond discard allows you to just knock out the ♦A and claim the rest. Otherwise, eliminate west's non diamond card and play ♦K which guarantees 2 more diamond tricks whether west wins the ace and has to lead away from the 10, or ducks, allowing a lead up to dummy's remaining honor.

Note that if West shows 4 diamonds and 5+ clubs, then stop playing clubs and play a spade and 2 rounds of hearts. If west shows out in a major, continue playing off that major forcing west to abandon either clubs or the other major. Then play off whatever suit was abandoned, which forces west to throw a 5th club or a 4th heart, or 3rd spade, or abandon diamonds. If west with 5+ clubs originally followed to a spade and 2 hearts, you can continue playing off the major suit winners in any order forcing west to abandon either the 5th club or diamonds.

IIRC, this is known as a non-material squeeze.