Nowadays, virtually all players use the Stayman Convention to explore for a possible 4-4 major-suit fit after partner has opened the bidding with one (or two) no-trump.
That explains North's two-club bid in today's hand, where he knew the combined hands contained enough points for game, but first wanted to find out whether South had four spades. When South indicated that he did not have four cards in either major by bidding two diamonds, North then carried on to three no-trump.
While the Stayman Convention works well in the great majority of hands, it is not an undiluted blessing. It sometimes helps the opponents, as it did in this deal where West found the winning defense.
West led a diamond. East took the ace and continued with the queen, and it was at this point that West made the excellent play of overtaking the queen and continuing with the nine to force out the ten.
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As a result, South went down, losing four diamond tricks and the ace of clubs. Had West played low on the queen of diamonds, declarer would have made three no-trump.
West's defense, which gave declarer a diamond trick he could not have made on his own, was in part attributable to what West had learned from the bidding. Thanks to the Stayman inquiry, West knew that South could not collect more than eight tricks (four spades, three hearts and the ten of diamonds), before he would have to lead a club. It was therefore perfectly safe to overtake the diamond queen and thereby assure defeat of the contract.
