I will try and get back to this after work, but here is a hint. Left-handed opp/opening leader might have stretched to open one spade. The puzzle was presented with both sides passing, but I think it is slightly easier to work out knowing this.
I’ve seen Biotop’s problem before so I’m saying nowt.
I had a complete disaster last Thursday. Fault on both sides, of course. Three that I remember:
She took my 4NT response to a 1NT opening as Blackwood. We ended up 4 off in 6NT.
Playing better minor she opened 1C instead of 1D on a 1-4-4-4 hand, so the bidding went 1C-1S-2D I had to go 3C to show suit preference. She then went 3H which I interpreted as 4th suit forcing and we ended up in 3N going down when we should have been in 2C.
I disregarded the maxim of second hand plays low and my Ace of trumps dropped partner’s Queen.
We missed bidding game on several occasions and a slam on one. A number of minor suit contracts should have been in NTs.
We will do better this week.
Even I know a 4NT response to 1NT isn’t Blackwood, and I’m a hack (I’m not certain of the correct rebid - I think it’s raise to 6NT if maximum, otherwise pass?) so I’m surprised to hear that first one given the level you play at. I can only assume you are generously partnering someone to teach them the game.
My Monday-night partner was on form tonight and we were making sweet music and duly came top. Both of us made some tricky contracts and we took other contracts down, often making that crucial extra trick.
Here’s a question for you: you are defending a NT contract and during play (NOT bidding) partner has signalled that he wants a particular suit. You have a singleton King in that suit. Should you lead it?
Probably. What could partner have that he wants this suit led. Certainly a couple of honors and give your shortness length. If he has something QJTxx, you want to lead it to try to force out the A so he can cash his tricks. He’ll be disappointed when you don’t continue, of course.
One more hint on the bridge problem I posed above:
It is from the classic book Right through the Pack.
That book gives you 52 bridge hands and stories. The gimmicks is that each story is told by a different one the playing cards, and the card telling the story is usually an integral part of the play. The above tale is the first one in the book… and it is told by the eight of diamonds.
In this case partner has Axxx.
Well, surely if you know he has Axxx you don’t want to lead it. Seems like it doesn’t gain a trick for your side. On the other hand, it probably doesn’t cost a trick either. But what is the point of leading it in that situation? It’s unlikely to drop the Q or J, whereas if you’re sitting to the right of one of them it could be a nasty surprise for declarer. Personally I’d find something else, partner will soon see why you didn’t follow the signal.
I prefer to view it as partner having shown values in a particular suit. It is then up to you to decide whether it is right to switch to that suit in the context of your own holding and what you know about the rest of the hand. Hence I cannot answer as to whether I would play the king in your particular situation.
Solution for Biotop’s problem:
EUB unf gjb-sbhe-sbhe-guerr qvfgevohgvba naq ab pneq uvture guna na Rvtug. Jva Fcnqr Npr; Qvnzbaq Wnpx naq Npr; Urneg Xvat naq Npr; Qvnzbaq Xvat naq Rvtug, cvgpuvat fcnqrf; naq ehss n fcnqr. Jva Pyho Xvat. Gjb gbc Urnegf jvyy fdhrrmr YUB va gur oynpx fhvgf.
This is probably the only time I will be able to decode something you have posted without help - thanks for making it simple enough for me! Well, I say without help - once I spotted what it was, I used this neat website to speed things up considerably.
We did much better tonight. We came second last, but scored 47%.
One hand was of particular interest.
Partner is dealer and passes. RHO bids 2:spades: (weak). I was sitting with 24 HCP. 
KTx 
AQ 
AKQJx 
KQx. What would you bid? I took a punt at 3NT which was passed out and made 6.
Partner has Qx KJT98 xxx Axx.
Getting there after a 2♣ opening is trivial (2♣ 2♥ 2N 6N) but what about after the opening 2♠?
BTW 6♥ fails as the trumps are split 6-0!
Not the most scientific, but what’s wrong with P-(2S)-Dbl-4H-4NT-5H-6NT?
Dealer has more than enough to go to game opposite a double of 2S, and Blackwood does the rest.
Decoding: RHO has two-four-four-three distribution and no card higher than an Eight. Win Spade Ace; Diamond Jack and Ace; Heart King and Ace; Diamond King and Eight, pitching spades; and ruff a spade. Win Club King. Two top Hearts will squeeze LHO in the black suits
I don’t get this. Makes sense if you have AQ of diamonds however.
The post describing the problem gives your hand first, then underneath it shows partner’s hand, dummy. This suggests that the hand with AJ diamonds is yours, but it is not - it is in dummy. Hence as RHO has no card higher than an eight, you can play a diamond to dummy and finesse LHO’s queen.
West held:
S: KQ982
H: QT
D: QJ9
C: QJT
East held:
S:JT
H: 8765
D: 7653
C:K3
That’s not right. You have given E/W some cards that N/S hold and East has 12 cards. I think West has:
KQJT9
QT
QT9
QJT
East has:
82
8765
7653
876
This fits the answer that RHO has no card higher than an 8, although it looks to me that the squeeze when RHO has any doubleton spade (in addition to all the other holdings), so can have spades higher than the 8.
Sorry. Corrected:
West:
S: KQ982
H: QT
D: QT9
C: QJT
East:
S: JT
H: 8765
D: 7653
C: 876
Yes, you’re right. I should have tried that.
I thought that the only way to bring in 13 tricks is to take: 4 trumps, 4 diamonds, A spades, spade ruff (after discarding two spades on diamonds), A and K of clubs… which is 12 tricks and then a spade/club squeeze for the 13 trick. Don’t see how you are going to do that.