[gnasher]

Scoring: IMP

p p 1♣ 2♥
p p dbl p
3♥ p 5♣ p
p p

---

West leads ♥K. Plan the play.

[rhm]

Win and play a ♣ to the queen.
If East wins and plays a heart, ruff and play a second club
Assume East has 4 ♣. Otherwise there is not much of a problem.
You require East to have at least 3 cards in ♦.
You try to prepare for a trump coup and may give up on the ♠ finesse.

Play 3 rounds of diamonds immediately

If East has more than 3 diamonds give up on the trump coup and take the spade finesse.
If diamonds are 3-3 play a fourth ♦ and if East does not ruff, discard a ♠. Ruff a ♥ and play ace and queen of ♠.

If East returns a ♠ play the queen. Win any return in hand and play second trump.
If East returns a diamond win with the queen, play a club honor and if trumps do not break play the queen of ♠ next yourself. (The only correct card if West is 3=7=2=1)
If this is taken with the king of ♠ you have another late entry to the table with the jack of ♠.
Whatever is returned does not matter
You now have full control to ruff one ♥ and one diamond if East has 4 ♦ or
2 ♥ if diamonds are 3-3
You finally return to the jack of ♠ for the trump coup.

If the queen of ♠ is refused, play a ♦ next to the table for a first ♥ ruff
cash the ace of ♠ and play 2 further rounds of ♦ and ruff a red card.
Finally exit with your last ♠ at trick 11

If East ducks with ace of ♣ play a second ♣ to the king and play the queen of ♠.
The play is essentially the same as when East wins and returns a spade

Rainer Herrmann

[gnasher]

rhm, on Oct 5 2009, 01:20 PM, said:

If East returns a diamond win with the queen, play a club honor and if trumps do not break play the queen of ♠ next yourself. (The only correct card if West is 3=7=2=1)

That was the idea that made me post the hand, and what I was thinking of doing at the table (until I found out that trumps were 3-2).

However, this line loses embarrassingly when LHO is 2641 or 2731 and the spade finesse is right. I think that probably makes it the wrong play, which is a shame.