[Apollo81]

IMPs, unfavorable, 4th seat

♠ K1087
♥ QJ73
♦ AJ107
♣ 7


(1♥)-p-(2♣*)-p
(2♥)-p-(3♣)-p
(3♠)-p-(3NT)-all pass

* game forcing

[whereagles]

♠10. Dunno why the ten. It just feels right to me.

[mike777]

spade 7 close.

With 2 close choices, D 10 or s 7 I tend to lead the non ace suit and use the ace as an entry.

[pclayton]

♦J

Looks right to attack the entry to the clubs asap as well as get our best suit established.

[mikeh]

Our choices appear to be between an essentially aggressive ♠ lead, hoping that partner has his meagre values in that suit, along with a slow ♣ stop, or a ♦, combining the hopes of setting up a trick there with an attack on declarer's entry position.

I strongly favour the latter.

The ♠ will not embarrass declarer at all unless partner holds the Q of the suit, which is a small target for us to aim for... indeed, he probably needs something like Q9x(x). With a lesser holding, declarer can win and drive out our partner's putative ♣ stopper (without which we cannot hope to beat the contract) and retain a ♦ entry when the hand is something like


AQx      Jx
AKxxxx  x
xxx      KQx
x         AKJxxxx

This is perhaps an extreme layout but demonstrates the point: declarer rates to need the ♣ suit to come home and, when he has to give partner a ♣ trick, rates NOT to have entries in the majors... so go after the suit where his entry is most likely.

[mike777]

mikeh, on Jul 13 2006, 11:22 AM, said:

Our choices appear to be between an essentially aggressive ♠ lead, hoping that partner has his meagre values in that suit, along with a slow ♣ stop, or a ♦, combining the hopes of setting up a trick there with an attack on declarer's entry position.

I strongly favour the latter.

The ♠ will not embarrass declarer at all unless partner holds the Q of the suit, which is a small target for us to aim for... indeed, he probably needs something like Q9x(x). With a lesser holding, declarer can win and drive out our partner's putative ♣ stopper (without which we cannot hope to beat the contract) and retain a ♦ entry when the hand is something like


AQx      Jx
AKxxxx  x
xxx      KQx
x         AKJxxxx

This is perhaps an extreme layout but demonstrates the point: declarer rates to need the ♣ suit to come home and, when he has to give partner a ♣ trick, rates NOT to have entries in the majors... so go after the suit where his entry is most likely.

Maybe I am missing something but does not 3nt make on a D lead on this example hand?

2s
2h
2d
3c

I guess you go down if you attack clubs first and the opp switch to spades

[inquiry]

mike777, on Jul 13 2006, 12:37 PM, said:

mikeh, on Jul 13 2006, 11:22 AM, said:

Our choices appear to be between an essentially aggressive ♠ lead, hoping that partner has his meagre values in that suit, along with a slow ♣ stop, or a ♦, combining the hopes of setting up a trick there with an attack on declarer's entry position.

I strongly favour the latter.

The ♠ will not embarrass declarer at all unless partner holds the Q of the suit, which is a small target for us to aim for... indeed, he probably needs something like Q9x(x). With a lesser holding, declarer can win and drive out our partner's putative ♣ stopper (without which we cannot hope to beat the contract) and retain a ♦ entry when the hand is something like


AQx      Jx
AKxxxx  x
xxx      KQx
x         AKJxxxx

This is perhaps an extreme layout but demonstrates the point: declarer rates to need the ♣ suit to come home and, when he has to give partner a ♣ trick, rates NOT to have entries in the majors... so go after the suit where his entry is most likely.

Maybe I am missing something but does not 3nt make on a D lead on this example hand?

2s
2h
2d
3c

Notrump bidder is to your right, so your AJTx of diamonds sit over the KQx. Thus, no 2 diamond tricks. One is the limit. Perhaps that is what you missed...

[hatchett]

Quote

Maybe I am missing something but does not 3nt make on a D lead on this example hand?

2s
2h
2d
3c

I guess you go down if you attack clubs first and the opp switch to spades

3NT can be made on a ♦lead , if declarer wins and plays three rounds of ♥s

[P_Marlowe]

either spade or diamond,
holding the diamond ace,
is a pointer for spade.


But I prefer unbid suits.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[willow23]

I would go with the 10♦ ..only suit not bidded ..and declearer probably has KQx/KQxx..so knock one off and hope that p can lead through the other if he gets on lead..

Hope for the best..