[roghog]

Scoring: IMP

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You're playing in a teams competition (IMPs converted to VPs).

After a learned sequence, you (South) find yourself in 6NT. If you don't make it, you'll only get 1 VP from the match. Your captain, who is sitting out this match, may turn ugly :-(

8♦ is led, and E will play the 9, but you can't put too much trust in their carding. The auction has disclosed your exact distribution and that you hold AK♦.

So, do you go ♣ing immediately, or perhaps do something else first? Or is it simpler to start working out how to inveigle your way into a different team next time?

They both follow to the first round of ♣, but not to the second.

[Free]

I can start clubbing immediatly, I want to discard ♥ from my hand and hopefully get to a ♥-♠ squeeze if ♣ split 5-2. But you can also try ♥ for 3-3 split obviously which is a much better chance I guess... Then you even have possibilities for other squeezes.

So I'll give up 1♥ first.

[inquiry]

win ♦,duck a spade (don't touch clubs).

1) If ♠ 3-3 you are home
2) if ♣ 4-2 or 3-3 you are home
3) if opponent with 4♠ has 5+♣, he will be simpled squeezed
4) if opponent with 4♠ has 0 or 1♣, you have a double squeeze...

(note if EAST has both black suits, no squeeze).

Ben

[luke warm]

ben, does the same line work by ducking a ♥ at trick 1? (substituting majors)

[inquiry]

You can play for similar squeeze by ducking a heart. Now you can make if:

1) If hearts are 3-3
2) if someone holds 4H and 4S
3) if West holds holds 4H and 5C or if EAST holds 4H and 5C and you guess it

So ducking a heart seems a superior play if for no other reason than hearts and clubs are in different hands to remove the positional nature of the pending squeeze. Unfortuanately, you may not be able to test all the possibilities, and if EAST has four hearts and five clubs you are probably going to guess wrong (see below)--although a double squeeze with WEST in hearts, east in clubs and both is spades fail because the spade and club threat are both in the "wrong hand". So when EAST shows up with five clubs you have to decide to play west for 4S and 4H or East for heart and clubs. Given the diamond lead and hte 5-1 club split, i would play west for 4-4 in the majors in this case.

[FrancesHinden]

It don't see how it can hurt to take two top clubs before ducking a major of your choice. If clubs do break, you are giving up on a major suit squeeze for the overtrick (I know it's IMPs, but why give up on an IMP?) and if they don't break, knowing who is long in the suit may have an impact on which major suit you duck.

Also, if clubs don't break, I want to spend a few minutes thinking about which is the better major to duck, which I haven't yet decided. But it doesn't take long to decide it can't hurt to touch clubs first. Why waste time and mental energy on decided what to do in an unlikely situation?

[Echognome]

roghog, on Jan 12 2006, 11:46 PM, said:

Your captain, who is sitting out this match, may turn ugly :-(

Your captain sounds like a tyrant.


When given this problem initially, I ducked a heart.

[Codo]

At the table, I had surey played two rounds of clubs first, trying to claim and save time and energy. But I doubt, that this will decrease my chances significantly. I will try to squeeze them by ducking a Heart at trick four.

[roghog]

Well, you decide to delay the ♣ for the time being, cash a ♠ to see if anything happens and duck a ♥. Two reasons...
(1) It's VPs, so the possible overtrick may not cost.
(2) Even if there was a squeeze for the overtrick, you can't boast about that for very long, can you? But if it needs a squeeze to make the contract...

So the tricks have been: ♦8Q96 ♠A843 ♥2469 ♦72TA

Time for ♣ing? Or will you leave those cute baby seals alone a wee while longer?

The contract can still be made, but the ♣ don't break.

[Fluffy]

I would play 2♣ and if its West who has 5♣ I would cash ♠AK not duck a major

[roghog]

Scoring: IMP

♦ lead to 6NT by South.

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Here's the full hand. Playing ♠ early would make on the fortunate break.

You also make if you leave ♣ alone. Duck a ♥, and cash all your non-♣ winners, dummy's low ♠ going on the ♦. You end with only ♣ in dummy, while your hand has threats in both majors and communications in ♣. The ♠ ten is a vital card!

This makes whenever the ♣-holder is the sole guardian of either ♥ or ♠.

OK, so that would have worked. Hard to compare the odds with those of the other lines suggested in this thread.