[maggieb]

I was studying some hands and ran across this:

Scoring: IMP

(P) - P - (1♥) - X
(P) - 1♠ - (P) - 1NT
(P) - 3NT - AP

---

Your opponents are very strong.

You receive the ♣2 lead (attitude) to RHO's ♣Q.

If you duck, he returns the ♣4 to LHO's ♣A, and the opening leader then plays the ♣9 with RHO pitching a spade, so you can take over from there.

If you win the ♣K at trick 1, plan the play from there.

[FrancesHinden]

If RHO hasn't completely psyched, he has all the rest of the high cards, and LHO has at most 1 heart.

I'm a bit nervous from the play so far that RHO has opened for a laugh on something such as xx K10xxxx Kxx Qx, given that LHO has led his own suit, and has clearly suit preferenced for spades. But if LHO has an ace and a king I don't believe the 'passing throughout' part of his auction, so I'll stitck with RHO having the lot.

I don't like ducking the original lead, clubs are hugely likely to be 5-2 with no heart lead, and it generates an additional loser. I would take the king of clubs and play another club back at once. I assume LHO takes this and plays a third (on which I discard a diamond), but the difference is that I have only lost one trick so far rather than two.

If RHO really has everything I have various ways to make.
e.g. discard a diamond on the third club and play the ace and 10 of spades.
If RHO takes this he is endplayed, he has to give me an entry to dummy and I come to 3 spades, 2 clubs, 2 diamonds (via a finesse) and 2 hearts (knocking out the king), so he'll duck the 10 of spades.

Now I lead the queen of hearts out of hand. He has to duck this or I have an entry to dummy and 9 tricks.

I continue with a heart to the Jack (which he has to take). He'd be wise to cash the king of spades at this point, on which I discard the club closer (if he doesn't cash it he's getting squeezed out of it for 10 tricks). A diamond or another spade will be 9 tricks at once, so he plays a heart back and I put the 8 in.

Now I cash the master club discarding another diamond from dummy, and am here:

Q
-
Qxx
-


-
A4
AJ
-

I know if RHO started with 5 or 6 hearts, so I know how many hearts he is down to now. If he has discarded down to 1 heart, the ace and 4 are both good. If he has three hearts left the AJ of diamonds are good. If he has two hearts left then ace of hearts and another heart, diamonds from dummy, ensures the contract.

But if I had ducked the first club back at the beginning, my hand would have been squeezed when East cashed the king of clubs. So I'm glad I didn't.

[Free]

I'd take the first trick and play a ♣ back. LHO will be endplayed immediately. If he returns a ♣ I'll take it and play one back at him to endplay him for sure this time.

If he doesn't take the second ♣, we have an entry in dummy.

[maggieb]

Free, on Oct 2 2009, 08:08 AM, said:

I'd take the first trick and play a ♣ back.  LHO will be endplayed immediately.  If he returns a ♣ I'll take it and play one back at him to endplay him for sure this time.

If he doesn't take the second ♣, we have an entry in dummy.

I just double checked. Okay, good, I did post this in the advanced/expert forum after all.

[wclass___]

If RHO has all the ramaining honours then this is cold.

Couldn't he have ♠K9xx ♥KT7xx ♦xx ♣Qx !?

Well, if he has this hand then i can't duck 1st trick, as they will establish clubs.
For the same reason you can't win and return ♣.
If you play ♦A-♦J, LHO will win and play another ♦. They will eventually collect ♦K,♣A,♦,♥K,♠K

Only ramaining option seems ♦J at trick 2.
Most likely play: ♦K and ♦ return by LHO; you win with ♦A and play small ♣ to force LHO's ♣A; ♣A and ♣ return;you win and play small ♥ to J; ♥K followed with ♥T by RHO; cash ♥AQ and endplay with remainin small ♥..

Even if RHO doesn't have this spesific hand, you are still cold if RHO does have all of the remaining points...
e.g. if RHO has ♠K9xx ♥KT7xx ♦Kx ♣Qx play should go in a similar fashion.

[FrancesHinden]

The problem with this line is that it fails if the pointy suit kings are switched. If RHO can have K9xx K10xxx xx Qx then why can't he have xx K10xxx K10xx Qx?

[wclass___]

FrancesHinden, on Oct 2 2009, 08:52 AM, said:

The problem with this line is that it fails if the pointy suit kings are switched. If RHO can have K9xx K10xxx xx Qx then why can't he have xx K10xxx K10xx Qx?

That leaves LHO with ♠Kxxxx ♥x ♦xx ♣Axxxx

[rhm]

It is likely that RHO has the remaining honors and I do not think I can make the contract if one of the kings is with LHO.
The danger is if declarer plays ace and another in ♠ and then in ♦ RHO might duck both if he was 4=4=3=2.
Suddenly all his kings would make.
It seems best to cash the last ♣ and see RHO next discard. You discard a second diamond from dummy.
RHO can not discard a ♥ even from 5 cards or you start playing a ♥ to the jack and establish 4 ♥ tricks and you will get another from an end-play at the end whatever he does.
So RHO must discard another ♠ or ♦ whereupon you cash the ♠ ace and ♦ ace and lead the ♠ ten. RHO is helpless.
If he still can duck the ♠ ten he will have to take the ♦ jack.
If RHO takes the ♠ king and returns a low ♦ you overtake the jack with the queen.
Whatever RHO does you get 4 tricks in the red suits, 3 tricks in ♠ and 2 in ♣

Rainer Herrmann

[Free]

maggieb, on Oct 2 2009, 02:12 PM, said:

I just double checked. Okay, good, I did post this in the advanced/expert forum after all.

Well then, go ask your very strong opponents what you should play instead of making useless posts like this one.

After 5 rounds of ♣ RHO will have to let go some guards, and you can still lose 1 trick. LHO has to play into one of your tenaces. I'm pretty sure that I'm not down yet.

[rhm]

Free, on Oct 2 2009, 09:53 AM, said:

maggieb, on Oct 2 2009, 02:12 PM, said:

I just double checked. Okay, good, I did post this in the advanced/expert forum after all.

Well then, go ask your very strong opponents what you should play instead of making useless posts like this one.

After 5 rounds of ♣ RHO will have to let go some guards, and you can still lose 1 trick. LHO has to play into one of your tenaces. I'm pretty sure that I'm not down yet.

LHO will switch to ♥ after the fifth ♣ and the last 8 cards of RHO are ♠Kx, ♥KTxx, ♦Kx, ♣-- .
I do not see how you want to avoid to loose 2 more tricks

Rainer Herrmann

[nige1]

maggieb, on Oct 2 2009, 08:12 AM, said:

I just double checked. Okay, good, I did post this in the advanced/expert forum after all.

Phew! I'm glad I didn't suggest a line