[Dinarius]

The bidding is as follows:

North East South West
1♥️ Dble. 3♥️ 4♦️
4♥️ 5♦️ Pass Pass
Dble. Pass Pass Pass

East
♠️A Q 7 5 2
♥️6 5
♦️K 10 9 4
♣️A K

West
♠️4
♥️7
♦️Q J 8 6 5 2
♣️Q J 10 8 4

North leads ♣️9. How do you play the hand?

D.

[wanoff]

♠AQ and pitch if not covered.

[apollo1201]

I'd guess the X advertises here a singleton, Ax of trumps, the hope to put partner in (in H presumably) to get a ruff. So I'd cut their communications à la wanoff. I'm not trying +1 with a finesse that will bring me "wanoff".

[johnu]

 apollo1201, on 2016-November-11, 16:57, said:

I'm not trying +1 with a finesse that will bring me "wanoff".

Even if you wanted to finesse to get a heart pitch to make an overtrick, how would you get to your hand?

[Dinarius]

 wanoff, on 2016-November-11, 16:11, said:

♠AQ and pitch if not covered.

Exactly my thinking, because lead is almost certainly a singleton.

But, if South covers you ruff, right?

And then what?

Is the only hope now that lead was a doubleton and you knock out Ace diamonds?

Thanks.


D.

[apollo1201]

 johnu, on 2016-November-11, 18:42, said:

Even if you wanted to finesse to get a heart pitch to make an overtrick, how would you get to your hand?

Oh right... I should stop thinking bridge after midnight! Playing it at the table and stuck in dummy it is probably simpler. And when Q gets covered you hope for a miracle.

[GrahamJson]

A and Q of spades looks like the expert play. Knowing my luck north would win and give S a club ruff.

[Phil]

 GrahamJson, on 2016-November-12, 06:21, said:

A and Q of spades looks like the expert play. Knowing my luck north would win and give S a club ruff.

What would Norths shape be then? (Hint: it was inevitable).

[1stpanda]

What are we freaking out about? Just play the !sA and the !dK. Even if W can cross to E for a spade, you just ruff high, draw trump, and claim.

[smerriman]

 1stpanda, on 2016-November-13, 14:29, said:

What are we freaking out about? Just play the !sA and the !dK. Even if W can cross to E for a spade, you just ruff high, draw trump, and claim.

They cross in hearts, not spades. They get a diamond, heart, and club ruff.

[jogs]

 apollo1201, on 2016-November-12, 04:44, said:

Oh right... I should stop thinking bridge after midnight! Playing it at the table and stuck in dummy it is probably simpler. And when Q gets covered you hope for a miracle.

I've spent many nights at a bar after midnight. The rule is declarer is always at the bottom. We are too drunk to rotate the hands. Drinkers who refuse to follow the rules are ignored.

[johnu]

 jogs, on 2016-November-16, 19:16, said:

I've spent many nights at a bar after midnight. The rule is declarer is always at the bottom. We are too drunk to rotate the hands. Drinkers who refuse to follow the rules are ignored.

Or BBO Web version where declarer is not rotated to the bottom.