[kenberg]

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I'm South.

♦5 - ♦J-♦Q-♦A

I can make this. But how? More thought might have been a good start.
If you start as I did with the ten of clubs to the ace, everyone follows small.
Options are? Your choice is?

The 2♣ bid was not alerted but I assumed, correctly, that it was Michaels.

As for the bidding, I will bid the same way next time. But comment if you wish.

[ahydra]

Bidding looks fine. To make it we just need to compress our three losers (2D 1S) into two.

My plan is to eliminate hearts and then play a spade, hopefully endplaying West. This requires him to be 5512 (not unlikely on the bidding and opening lead). You play C10 to A, HAK, ruff one heart (assuming West is 5512 then East is out of trumps), then club to K and ruff another heart, then play a spade, covering whatever East puts on (if East wins the Ace, then we're fine because he can't profitably attack diamonds).

If West wins the ♠Q, then next he either has to play the SA or a small, or give a ruff-and-discard in hearts. If the SA, you discard a diamond, and now he must give you the SK or a ruff-and-discard. If a small spade, again you discard a diamond from dummy and pray West had to lead away from the Ace. If West has the ♠A (but not the Q) and wins it, he's endplayed.

So that works... but is there a better line that caters to more layouts? I can't see any viable squeeze.

ahydra

[CamHenry]

ahydra: your line matches the best I can come up with. I think you have to decide at trick 1 whether to play for 5512 or 5521 with West; if 5521 you should duck the opening lead and hope E doesn't switch to a small spade from Axxx or a spade from xxxx.

[kenberg]

Indeed the ahydra line works and is the one that I thought of, only much too late. I think the diamond lead is highly likely to be a stiff, and while he could have a stiff club as well that is less likely than having two. I was lazy and just drew trump, then AKx of hearts ruffed and a spade toward the KJx. Lho had AQ, won, and played another heart. I realized my mistake, but too late.

They say confession is good for the soul. Maybe so, but I just thought it was interesting enough to post it.