[hatchett]

Quote

I believe declarer's hand is:

xx
KJx
Axx
AK10xx

I very much doubt he started with 2 low ♠s, remember he pitched one on the fourth ♥.

[lowerline]

hatchett, on Dec 19 2006, 07:00 PM, said:

I think declarer started with

xxx
KJx
AQx
AKT9

This is consistent with partner's diamond signalling.  We must play a spade, he is likely to finesse again.  If we play anything else he gets to cash a black suit before taking a finesse in the other suit and that it bound to be successful whether he tries ♣s or ♠s.

By the way Ken, we hold ♠T and there aren't any trumps on this hand!

So you assume partner has ducked with ♠Kx?

I still think that something like:
♠Kxx
♥KJx
♦AQx
♣KTxx
or the hand I posted earlier, is more likely. I don't expect this hand was declared perfectly. I am still returning a ♣...

Steven

[kenrexford]

Here's another take on why the club back seems critically flawed, IMO.

Assume that Declarer holds ♠Kxx ♥KJx ♦AQx ♣K10xx as suggested.

That gives partner ♠xx ♥Ax ♦xxxxx ♣Axxx

So, on the heart lead, he wins and fires back a heart. On the third heart, he pitches the diamond 6. This is weird. You can see the 10, 9, and 3. If Declarer only has one small diamond, partner must have the 8 or 7. Why play the 6?

My gut thought on this is that partner is trying to be ambiguous in diamonds and to allow himself time to decide whether to make the six look small later (playing his reserved high pip) or larger (playing any of many small pips).

Of course, Declarer could have AQ87 in diamonds, or A87.

Anyway, Declarer now finesses a spade and the hooks the club. On the fourth heart, partner pitches a low diamond. What did he pitch from?

If the original hand was as shown, partner was down to ♠x ♥-- ♦xxxx ♣Axx. Knowing that a club back would set the contract, would you not throw the spade, to ensure that a spade is not the lead, trusting that your initial diamond play eliminated out anything but a club? Or, wouldn't you consider a low club pip? The diamond is way too ambiguous.

You might get ambiguous with Kxx of clubs remaining, I suppose, but why not encourage a club (or discourage a spade)?

Maybe the diamond six was initially and actually high. In that case, Declarer held AQ87 in diamonds. Adding in the spade King and the heart K-J, he might only have the club King. This gives partner ♠xx ♥Ax ♦6xxx ♣Axxxx. At the point of your play of the fourth heart, he is reduced to ♠x ♥-- ♦xxx ♣Axxx. Again, why not play the spade? Add the diamond Queen in, and remove a club (Opener originally held A98 in diamonds), and a small spade again looks right.

In other words, partner's play of the second diamond is weird. Give him, however, an original holding of ♠Kx ♥Ax ♦Qxxxxx ♣xxx. The first two cards are the same. On the third heart, he is down to ♠Kx ♥-- ♦Qxxxxx ♣xxx. Picthing the diamond six (per force third best) makes sense when looking at dummy's K109, an ambiguous play in case Declarer holds AJ(x).

After the spade, then club finesse, you cash the fourth heart. What does partner have to pitch from? ♠K ♥-- ♦Qxxxx ♣xx. He obviously cannot pitch the spade. Why not pitch the club, to make absolutely certain that you return a spade? Two reasons.

First, partner "knows" that clubs are splitting 3-3. Pitching a club will make Declarer more confident that this is the case. Second, discouraging clubs suggests strongly that he actually has the spade King, such that, on a spade switch from you, Declarer has some suggestion, now, that rising is the best line.

Partner's problem at this point is that he must induce a spade switch in such a way as to not induce Declarer to rise. It seems reasonable that his best chances lie in making another ambiguous play and hoping that you work out more from ambiguity than Declarer.

[hatchett]

Quote

I still think that something like:
♠Kxx
♥KJx
♦AQx
♣KTxx

If he has this we can return anything, and he has gone off in a cold contract by not playing a ♣ to the K.

Quote

I don't expect this hand was declared perfectly.

We aren't told how good declarer is thought to be but with Kxx KJx AQxx KTx, a beginner/intermediate would test diamonds first and then try a club towards the K.
Not very difficult.