[paulg]

Scoring: IMP

N S
- 1♣
1♠ 1NT
2♠ 3♥
6NT

1♣=2+ clubs, natural or balanced 11-13/17-19
1♠=diamonds
1NT=11-13 balanced
2♠=enquiry
3♥=4♥, non-minimum

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Lead: ♠2 (HxxX, HxX)

If you play small from dummy then East will play the ♠10.

Originally I believe the odds favour playing for one of the majors to break but the spade lead may change that.

Do you play for a major suit to break 3-3 or take the club finesse? Or something else?

Paul

[fred]

How about something like this (to simplify things I am assuming diamonds break no worse than 4-2):

- play low from this dummy just in case LHO has led low from J10xx(x) of spades (unlikely but you never know). If you win the 9 of spades, you can claim.
- otherwise unblock the AK of diamonds and play 2 more rounds of spades. If the 9 of spades is now a winner you can claim.
- cash 2 more diamonds, discarding clubs from your hand. If a defender discards the Q of clubs at some point, you can be fairly certain he is either the best player who has ever lived or that he started with stoppers in both majors and the AQ of clubs. Play your last diamond discarding your last club. He will be triple-squeezed on this trick. This squeeze will operate if the defender in question does not have the Q of clubs. If that defender is your RHO you will know what to do. If that defender is your LHO, it will be harder (and likely against the odds) to play for this sort of position.
- otherwise cash dummy's last diamond discarding your remaining spade and play 3 rounds of hearts ending in your hand. If hearts break you can claim.
- otherwise lead your remaining club toward the dummy. You will make your contract if LHO started with the Ace of clubs and no more than 2 cards in each major (perhaps unlikely from a practical point of view given that the spade he led was the 2).

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com