Assumptions

I have close to the values for a 2 ♠ reverse, and I don't have a problem making a natural reverse here with only four spades, but I was unhappy about the stiff ♦ K, and I prefer to have a better suit when I reverse. Several people suggest I should have called 2 NT.

When my partner finally took his 4 ♦ cue-bid (a bid I really like, given his excellent help in the other suits) I found that we had a double-stop in diamonds and had bypassed 3 NT. I figured that there was no way 5 ♣ could beat 3 NT, so I bid the slam.

West thought long and hard before he passed the 6 ♣ bid. Perhaps he could tell I was taking a shot, but I was almost sure he had the ♥ A, and probably the ♥ Q as well. How could I make this contract with the ♥ A offside?

West led a diamond, which road to my king. If I played him for the ♥ A, it was futile to try to attack hearts. I needed to pick up the spades for four tricks, plus two diamonds, a diamond ruff, and five club tricks, to make twelve. I had to get to dummy twice, once to ruff diamonds and once to finish drawing trumps. I couldn't afford to overtake the ♣ J and ruff a diamond with another club honor, so my two entries had to be in spades.

The plan was, I would lead a low spade to the 10, ruff a diamond, take the top two clubs, and lead a spade to the nine. After running the trumps and cashing the ♦ A, I would be pitched down to: There would be only two spades outstanding, and West would be marked with one of them - the queen. On the lead of the ♠ K, I'd have him. If East followed, I would overtake, dropping the ♠ Q from West. If East did not follow, I would play low on the spade, and then endplay West with a heart to his ace, forcing him to lead his last spade to my ace.

Of course, the ♠ Q was with East, so my plan fell apart immediately. East fired back a heart through my hand, and I was down three when East turned up with a stiff heart and four clubs.

Sigh. At least I was right about the ♥ A.