[clayniac]

Vulnerable at imps in a club Swiss, how would you play this hand?:

2nt-(p)-3 diamonds-(p)-3 hearts-(p)-3 nt-all pass. same bidding at both tables

spade king lead. dummy hits with ♠xxx ♥ jtxxx ♦qj9x ♣x

you hold ♠axx ♥kq ♦kxx ♣akjt9

partner showed out on 3rd spade, so declarer knows I have kqjtx.

scroll down for winning line as cards lie. not necessarily the best line won, but our opponent chose the "right" line.

Our opponent took the winning line as the cards lie, our teammate the losing line as the cards lie. -600 and -300 for a loss of 14 imps. This was our only bad board of the day, had some small losses but lost this board and match (other boards 4 pushes and one -1 on this match); won our other 3 matches handily, second to this team. had this board been a push may have well won the event, a small club swiss where 2/3 of the teams were good A teams, one competent B team, one weak B team. Played 3 A teams the first 3 matches, so per force one of the B teams (the better one) on the last match.











Our opponent knocked out red aces, partner having both red aces. our teammate played some red cards, ducked, then in dummy with a diamond, took a club finesse. Partner has both red aces. Our teammate figured I was odds on to have one of the red aces, so chose the club finesse. Not necessarily the best line by our opponent nor the wrong line by our teammate, but alas our opponent chose the winning line.

opinions please. thanks, patsy

[inquiry]

I think your opponent took the correct line and your partner did not. You have to knock out a red ace, and if WEST has either of them, they will find it (say red aces split and you knock out the diamond ace, they will lead a heart). The reason for this is that on the third spade, you can give suit preference signal. In addition, should the club finessee work, that only gains one trick for we doubt RHO will have Qxx precisely. Seems to me the best line is to play RHO for both red aces.

[gwnn]

You're goners if the guy with the spades has at least one ace - the guy winning one of the aces can simply give the hand to his pd. You must therefore assume Righty has both aces. The second line is doomed.

[hrothgar]

Did RHO cover the King or Queen of Hearts?

If the Hearts have been unblocked AND you manage to get to the dummy with the a Diamond you have

1 Spade
4 Hearts
2 Diamonds
2 Clubs

without any need to rely on the Club finesse

If RHO HASN'T won the Ace of Hearts and you're in the dummy, you probably have

1 Spade
2 Hearts
2-3 Diamonds

At this point in time, you pretty much require getting 3+ tricks in clubs which means that you MUST take the finesse the one time you are in dummy.

[dake50]

Yes, 1s+4h+2d+2c=9. But the 1s+2h+2-3d+ 3??c beware of c-finesse that, if winning, is unneeded: endplay no spade hand.

[Halo]

We have to assume RHO has both aces as all say.

If we are in dummy after two rounds of hearts and a diamond to the jack, clearing hearts gains when RHO has Ax diamonds, otherwise it is the same as finessing clubs.

What was the layout or play that let your opponents make?

[inquiry]

Halo, on Dec 18 2006, 05:39 AM, said:

We have to assume RHO has both aces as all say.

If we are in dummy after two rounds of hearts and a diamond to the jack, clearing hearts gains when RHO has Ax diamonds, otherwise it is the same as finessing clubs.

What was the layout or play that let your opponents make?

? ? 1♠ + 4♥ +2♦ +2♣ = 9, as pointed out by others

[Halo]

inquiry, on Dec 18 2006, 07:18 AM, said:

? ? 1♠ + 4♥ +2♦ +2♣ = 9, as pointed out by others

What is the entry for the fourth and fifth rounds of hearts.

[hatchett]

What did RHO pitch on the third round of ♠s?

If the first two rounds of ♥s are ducked we will probably play RHO to have the ♣Q as well, for instance. ♠xx ♥Axx ♦Axxx ♣Qxxx is a making layout, but we have to pick his shape, to decide whether to endplay him with a red ace or whether the ♣Q is dropping.

[Halo]

hatchett, on Dec 18 2006, 08:52 AM, said:

What did RHO pitch on the third round of ♠s?

If the first two rounds of ♥s are ducked we will probably play RHO to have the ♣Q as well, for instance. ♠xx ♥Axx ♦Axxx ♣Qxxx is a making layout, but we have to pick his shape, to decide whether to endplay him with a red ace or whether the ♣Q is dropping.

This is the heart of the matter.

I think we will place RHO with 23 in the majors if he doesn't throw a heart on the third spade.

If he has discarded a diamond on the third spade, playing king of diamonds after a winning club finesse clarifies the position and we make.

If he has discarded a club on the third spade, then playing king of diamonds after a winning club finesse may drop the ten on the left or right. If the ten doesn't appear, I think we have done our best and we are guessing.

[clayniac]

My partner misdefended I think. The other team, all very strong players, said it is cold if declarer attacks the red suits, but I think they are wrong. The full layout:
west (me) ♠kqjtx ♥xxx ♦t ♣qxxx
dummy ♠xxx ♥jt9xx ♦qj9x ♣x
partner ♠xx ♥axx ♦a8xxx ♣xxx
declarer ♠axx ♥kq ♦kxx ♣akjtx

If declarer attacks red suits, only way to set is for partner to duck ♥kq. Declarer then plays to one of dummy's ♦ honors, holding, and plays another ♥, which partner wins per force. Partner exits a ♣, declarer hopping the ace. Now declarer has to play ♦. If declarer plays ♦k from hand partner must duck and win next ♦. If declarer plays a ♦ to dummy's other honor, partner must win. Now declarer is stuck.
This is the only defense to set. Partner misdefended by taking second ♥ with the ace. It is easier to duck the ♥ ace than to know which ♦d to win.
Thanks all for comments.
Patsy