How Well do You Understand Each Other? A Defensive Situation
By Mike Lawrence

Aside from the one million and one things you can learn from books are the one million and two little details that you and your partner must sort out as you go along. This article is the first in a series. You will be presented with a number of situations, some in the bidding and some in defense, and then will be asked some questions pertaining to what is happening. Experienced partnerships will know the answers to these questions. The reason they know the answers is that they have seen the situations before and have learned from them, or from the ensuing discussions, what their partnership tendencies are.

You lead the jack of diamonds. Dummy's king wins, with East playing the six. Declarer plays the ace and king of spades, on which East plays the nine and five, in that order.

What do you think East is saying when he plays the nine and then the five of spades?