[FrancesHinden]

I originally posted this hand on the Beginner & Intermediate forum because I thought it was easy. Then I read the replies and realised it ain't at all easy, and so I feel less guilty about going off.

Opponents are strong players known to be rather random and very aggressive in the auction. (this one is from Brighton so it's not aggregate)

Scoring: IMP

P P 1♦ x
3♦ P P
x P 4S all pass

---

(someone should have bid 3NT at some point...)
The defence starts with A, K and a third diamond which you win in hand, discarding a club from dummy.

Now what?

[Dwingo]

Duck a ♣ immediately and play for ♣ and ♥ squeeze.

[Miron]

Dwingo, on Sep 6 2006, 12:51 PM, said:

Duck a ♣ immediately and play for ♣ and ♥ squeeze.

They take it and play ♦. You will have problems with trumps (unless 3-3).

First trump out. Next try hearts. If heart are not 3-3, play ♣ finesse.
You'll take 4♠, 3-4♥, 1♦, 1-2♣, that's 10 tricks.

[FrancesHinden]

Miron, on Sep 6 2006, 01:04 PM, said:

First trump out. Next try hearts. If heart are not 3-3, play ♣ finesse.
You'll take 4♠, 3-4♥, 1♦, 1-2♣, that's 10 tricks.

How do you plan to
i) Draw trumps in 4 rounds
ii) Cash 3 rounds of hearts ending in hand in order to
iii) Take the club finesse?

[Miron]

FrancesHinden, on Sep 6 2006, 01:33 PM, said:

Miron, on Sep 6 2006, 01:04 PM, said:

First trump out. Next try hearts. If heart are not 3-3, play ♣ finesse.
You'll take 4♠, 3-4♥, 1♦, 1-2♣, that's 10 tricks.

How do you plan to
i) Draw trumps in 4 rounds
ii) Cash 3 rounds of hearts ending in hand in order to
iii) Take the club finesse?

This one is easy.
Play ♠KQJ, ♥A, ♠A, ♥KQ and if ther are 4-2, take a long pause and then play ♣ finesse.

Seriously: Hmm, you're right. So some compromise. Play ♠KQJ and now play hearts hoping that 4 hearts are with 4 trumps. This is rather against odds, that means one opp has 4441 or 4450. No singleton lead, no direct ruff - this won't work.

If spades are 3-3 you don't have problem. OK? I have communication if hearts don't split.

If spades are 4-2: I can play ♠KQJ, and

• ♥KQ and ♥A hoping for 4-4 majors together.
  
• (♥Q,) ♥A and now to play ♠A and try ♣ finesse (or if you really wish hearts 3-3)

I go with ♣ finesse. But in this case I can play it anytime. It sits or not. If I allow opps to win lead, They will return ♦, which kills me.

So it's all in your blind decision for 3-3 hearts or club finesse.

[Codo]

Opps have 14 HCPS . That makes it dobtful, that the finesse in club is working and it makes it doubtful, that Hearts are 3-3...
Anyway, any diamond will kill you if spades are not 3-3.
So Itake 3 Spade tricks.
Are there any news till now? F.E. Did the opening leader had one of the diamond Honours? Or had someone just a doubelton spade?

[cnszsun]

Will West open 1♦ with ♦AKxx and at most 2 Jacks outside even he is 3rd seat and favorable vul? I doubt it.
I will play 3 rounds trumps,
if 4-2 break, ♥A, ♠A, then ♣finesse;
if 3-3 break, i can try ♥ first, ♥K, Q, A, then ♣.

[Free]

Dwingo, on Sep 6 2006, 12:51 PM, said:

Duck a ♣ immediately and play for ♣ and ♥ squeeze.

They will play another ♦ and ♠ will surely split 4-2. Or they can just let your LHO take and play ♣ back immediately: no squeeze left.

[kenberg]

It seems to me that the most likely holding given the auction and the first three tricks is this: W opened with 4-4-3-2 distribution including the king of clubs, E raised preemptively with five diamonds and a jack or two. Of course it doesn't have to be that way, it's a third seat opener and the opponents are described as "rather random and very aggressive". Still, I would not play any line that would go down on the holding that seems most likely to me, since the likely holding can be dealt with by straighforward play.

I am having a tough time finding much of an improvement over the obvious line of three spades, heart to ace, another spade, finesse the club. However:

Suppose we lead a small heart from hand at T4 and play the king. Possibly E, as the weaker hand, will play an honest count card. Possibly. Then play off three spades from the board. If they are 3-3 then, as has been said, we can play two more hearts ending in hand and then decline the club finesse if hearts split. If it turns out that W started with four spades, then there is the option of playing queen and a small heart. If W started with 4-4-3-2 this won't do either good or harm, we cash the last spade and take the club finesse. If W started with 4-3-4-2, we no longer need the club finesse, we draw the last trump and go to the ace of clubs and collect our heart. If W started with 4-2-4-3, we have just made a mistake. So we go with this plan providing the heart card from E at T4 indicated an odd number. Should we actually do this?

It's a close call, I think. If the club king really is offside, the defenders could have beaten you with a club shift at T2, although this may not have been clear to them. This, together with the bidding, suggests just taking the finesse. Further, it may be naive to expect honest count from E. Still, it offers some chances beyond just the finesse, and the risk may be worth it. I know I am hedging, and probably I would just fall back on the finesse.


I don't really expect E to have four spades but if he does then that ups the number of clubs likely to be in the W hand, and I will just come to hand with the ace of hearts, draw the last trump, and take the finesse.


If there is a way to keep the obvious chance in clubs intact while gaining others at no risk, I don't see it.



Ken