[MrAce]

IMPS (Challenge match) , opponents are GIB.

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T1 - East leads ♠Q and you win in dummy.
T2 - Cash ♣A and East discards ♥7.

Plan the play.

[Tramticket]

Surely you need West to hold at least three hearts and and at least two diamonds.

AK♥, club to the king, Q♥ discarding a diamond, KA♦ then a diamond ruff.

[manudude03]

You have an almost 100% line by exiting a spade now. Say you get a heart return (looks best), ruff a spade high, club to the 7, spade ruff high, overtake your remaining club and draw the remaining trumps. It only goes down if hearts are 8-0 or diamonds 7-0 as far as I can tell (well, or spades 6-1 and West has 2 singletons).

[Cyberyeti]

 manudude03, on 2016-June-06, 05:12, said:

You have an almost 100% line by exiting a spade now. Say you get a heart return (looks best), ruff a spade high, club to the 7, spade ruff high, overtake your remaining club and draw the remaining trumps. It only goes down if hearts are 8-0 or diamonds 7-0 as far as I can tell (well, or spades 6-1 and West has 2 singletons).

This was my first thought also.

[MrAce]

 manudude03, on 2016-June-06, 05:12, said:

You have an almost 100% line by exiting a spade now. Say you get a heart return (looks best), ruff a spade high, club to the 7, spade ruff high, overtake your remaining club and draw the remaining trumps. It only goes down if hearts are 8-0 or diamonds 7-0 as far as I can tell (well, or spades 6-1 and West has 2 singletons).

Bravo Manu.

At the table (BBO) I failed to play this line and cashed AK ♥. Did not think through and decided to discard a ♦ on 3rd ♥ and if LHO ruffs to keep my ♦ finesse reserved, so I played ♠ 2 tricks late. Ended up making when everything was friendly.

[Caitlynne]

I object to the problem. Two declarer play errors have already been made, both of which have greatly reduced the chances for bringing this contract home:

1. You should not win the opening lead, but rather the second round of spades. (Squeeze possibilities no longer exist when you win the first spade.)

2. The first round of trump should be won with the Queen or Ten, not the Ace or any high trump in the Dummy. (You need trump entries to Dummy should clubs break 4-0; there are no problems with a 3-1 or 2-2 trump split.)

[Phil]

 Caitlynne, on 2016-June-07, 08:07, said:

I object to the problem. Two declarer play errors have already been made, both of which have greatly reduced the chances for bringing this contract home:

1. You should not win the opening lead, but rather the second round of spades. (Squeeze possibilities no longer exist when you win the first spade.)

2. The first round of trump should be won with the Queen or Ten, not the Ace or any high trump in the Dummy. (You need trump entries to Dummy should clubs break 4-0; there are no problems with a 3-1 or 2-2 trump split.)

1. Squeeze possibilities will still exist if we win the first spade. But this doesn't look like the right hand for it.

2. Huh? Dummy is south here so I'm not sure why we need late entries.

Personally I would have just won the spade and returned a spade without giving it too much thought.

[nige1]

 Caitlynne, on 2016-June-07, 08:07, said:

I object to the problem. Two declarer play errors have already been made, both of which have greatly reduced the chances for bringing this contract home:
1. You should not win the opening lead, but rather the second round of spades. (Squeeze possibilities no longer exist when you win the first spade.)
2. The first round of trump should be won with the Queen or Ten, not the Ace or any high trump in the Dummy. (You need trump entries to Dummy should clubs break 4-0; there are no problems with a 3-1 or 2-2 trump split.)

 Phil, on 2016-June-07, 08:15, said:

1. Squeeze possibilities will still exist if we win the first spade. But this doesn't look like the right hand for it.
2. Huh? Dummy is south here so I'm not sure why we need late entries.
Personally I would have just won the spade and returned a spade without giving it too much thought.

I agree with Manudude03.

• At trick 1, you should win ♠A, because an opponent might have 6 ♠s or be able to ruff another plain suit.
• At trick 2, you should cash ♣A, because you can claim unless ♣s are 4-0.
• At trick 3, when ♣s are 4-0, you should concede a ♠, because the dummy-reversal still has excellent prospects.

[MrAce]

deleted

[MrAce]

 Caitlynne, on 2016-June-07, 08:07, said:

I object to the problem. Two declarer play errors have already been made, both of which have greatly reduced the chances for bringing this contract home:

1. You should not win the opening lead, but rather the second round of spades. (Squeeze possibilities no longer exist when you win the first spade.)

2. The first round of trump should be won with the Queen or Ten, not the Ace or any high trump in the Dummy. (You need trump entries to Dummy should clubs break 4-0; there are no problems with a 3-1 or 2-2 trump split.)

I want to reply to this for a while now....I hit the reply button...start typing....but can not come up with words that I feel comfortable enough (to be not banned) to hit the "submit reply" button.

[kenberg]

 Caitlynne, on 2016-June-07, 08:07, said:

I object to the problem. Two declarer play errors have already been made, both of which have greatly reduced the chances for bringing this contract home:

1. You should not win the opening lead, but rather the second round of spades. (Squeeze possibilities no longer exist when you win the first spade.)

2. The first round of trump should be won with the Queen or Ten, not the Ace or any high trump in the Dummy. (You need trump entries to Dummy should clubs break 4-0; there are no problems with a 3-1 or 2-2 trump split.)

On what layout of the opponent's cards do you see the recommended line of play failing?
Spade Ace
Club Ace.
Small spade.
This goes down how? He can make the same play if everyone follows to the first round of clubs.

Declarer plans to take two spade ruffs in the South hand, four club tricks in the North the master hand after the ruffs). That's six tricks. The spade Ace, the two diamonds, and the three hearts come to six more. That's twelve. No squeeze, no finesse, no nothing, just don't block the clubs.

OP mentioned that he put his contract in (some but not great) danger by playing on some red cards before setting up for the ruffs. True enough. So that was the point. And yes, there are some transportation issues. With the clubs 4-0, the club seven is valuable to eliminate the need of using any red cards back and forth. With care, declarer leads no red card until trump are out, unless at trick 4 a club is returned Then declarer needs to play a red card once himself. After spade ace, club ace, small spade, and then any return that is not ruffed the hand can be claimed.Or rather if when the club is returned at T4, win in North hand, ruff a slade high, come to hand with a heart and when that is not ruffed then claim. Basically, after three tricks, you can claim, as was said, unless there is a first round red suit ruff available.

[msjennifer]

After winning the SA and discovering the 40 trump break, one can make the hand by ruffling two spades in dummy which is very easy if one backs a spade immediately. The quixotic line is to draw all four trumps and take the straight or reverse diamond finesse depending upon ones mood ,but that is for the pseudo-expert (or a beginner) who wants to play a gallery game.Ruffing two spades in dummy is the straightforward play as you get six trump tricks ,three heart,two diamonds and a spade.Simple and elementary unless West is void in H/D and if East returns that suit after winning the spade trick.However,West may make a Lightner double if a void existed.