[kgr]

Scoring: MP

South Opened 4S. You lead the DK and South plays small from Dummy, East the 6 (high encourage) and South the 7. How do you continue?
(N/S don't play Namyats)

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[Free]

♦Q, lets get that ♦A off the table before ♥ will be set up.

[Double !]

Free, on Jun 18 2006, 01:48 PM, said:

♦Q, lets get that ♦A off the table before ♥ will be set up.

makes sense to me
i suspect that declarer might have played the ace of diamonds at trick one and led a heart, trying for a quick pitch if holding the ace of hearts unless it's singleton and declarer has something like KQJxxxxx,A,x,xxx. Then declarer jettisons the ace of hearts under the ace of diamonds, pitches 2 clubs on the KQ of hts, and loses a diamond, a club and a spade. That would be a clever play! But Iprobably would continue with a diamond and let declarer be a hero should he/she hold that one specific hand.

I don't know if this makes any sense: I am quite tired.

DHL

[lowerline]

kgr, on Jun 18 2006, 11:03 AM, said:

Scoring: MP

South Opened 4S. You lead the DK and South plays small from Dummy, East the 6 (high encourage) and South the 7. How do you continue?
(N/S don't play Namyats)

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Switch to clubs. Your club trick(s) need to be established before declarer can set up his hearts.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

not diamond, he could have played the 8 or 9
if he did hold the Jack, but he did play the 6
... and only the 2 is missing.

I would switch to a trump, declarer does have
at most 2 entries to the table, and he will need
both to set up his hearts, but he will never reach
them.
And I try to avoid doing his work.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[FrancesHinden]

This is tough.
I think declarer has either J72 or J7 of diamonds: partner's 6 looks discouraging to me. So I'm not playing a diamond.

If south has anything resembling a normal 4S opener and has the ace of clubs, he will have 7 spade tricks plus [a heart and a diamond] or [2 diamonds] plus the ace of clubs.

The alternative is that partner has J6 or J62 of diamonds, but on the former he would probably play the Jack. If he has the latter and I've let the contract through, that's just life.

So I shall play a club to partner's ace for a minor suit return.

[kgr]

My (declarer) hand was:
KQJT98xx A Jxx x
Only club at trick two and a diamond back from your partner defeats the contract.

[lowerline]

kgr, on Jun 19 2006, 10:59 AM, said:

My (declarer) hand was:
KQJT98xx A Jxx x
Only club at trick two and a diamond back from your partner defeats the contract.

The real issue is probably: which club do you play to convince partner to play a diamond i.s.o trying to cash another club?

[whereagles]

lowerline, on Jun 20 2006, 09:27 AM, said:

kgr, on Jun 19 2006, 10:59 AM, said:

My (declarer) hand was:
KQJT98xx A Jxx x
Only club at trick two and a diamond back from your partner defeats the contract.

The real issue is probably: which club do you play to convince partner to play a diamond i.s.o trying to cash another club?

Double dummy, yhe jack. You want pard to believe opener might have the king, so as to continue diamonds. Single dummy, it's a guess. You don't know declarer's shape.

[lowerline]

whereagles, on Jun 20 2006, 05:26 AM, said:

lowerline, on Jun 20 2006, 09:27 AM, said:

kgr, on Jun 19 2006, 10:59 AM, said:

My (declarer) hand was:
KQJT98xx A Jxx x
Only club at trick two and a diamond back from your partner defeats the contract.

The real issue is probably: which club do you play to convince partner to play a diamond i.s.o trying to cash another club?

Double dummy, yhe jack. You want pard to believe opener might have the king, so as to continue diamonds. Single dummy, it's a guess. You don't know declarer's shape.

True. One will probably play the jack because it is the standard card to lead from this holding. It is up to partner then. He can figure out it is best to play diamonds if I have the ace of hearts. If declarer has the ace of hearts, he would not have ducked the first trick (declarer can not have the ace of hearts AND the king of clubs), UNLESS he has the ace of hearts singleton... Playing diamonds is always the right play AFAIK, but at the same time this is a defence that is easily missed at the table.