[jvage]

Scoring: IMP

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RHO opens a weak 2♥ (normally 6 at this vul). Partner (who is a passed hand) reopens with a double. You decide to pass because of the vul and lead the ♣A. Partner plays an encouraging 2. You switch to a diamond, partner wins the A and gives you a ruff with the lowest diamond, you play a club to partners J and he gives you another diamondruff (declarer following with K, Q and a low one, partner played the lowest outstanding both times). What do you play?

John

[pclayton]

There's 2 possibilities:

1. Declarer is 2=6=3=2. It doesn't seem to matter what I do. I can trade a spade trick for another diamond ruff, for the same 500, assuming declarer pops King (and pitches his remaining spade on the 4th ♦) when I lead a small one. However, why wouldn't declarer misguess with Jx? Pard has turned up with only the ♣QJ, ♦A, so there's enough room for him to hold the ♠A. I hope pard isn't making balancing x on a 6=0=4=3

2. Declarer is horsing around in 3rd chair with a 3=5=3=2. A low spade works here too.

[FrancesHinden]

Partner shouldn't have the SQ for this defence - he would have played a higher diamond back for the second ruff, as he is already marked with the CQ.

I would play another low club back in case declarer is 2533

[jvage]

Frances may be correct, but this time partner is me, so it is not so obvious your partner should be thrusted Partner actually agreed with my signalling, the point is that from my side I needed to tell partner I don't have 5 clubs (far more likely than having 5 spades), so if partner got only 3 the third round will stand up. Also important is that at my side of the screen 2♥ was explained as 6 cards, making a further trump-promotion impossible even if partners remaining heart was the singleton K (I had no quick entry).

Partner reasoned correctly that I would always bid 2♠ with 6043, and often with 5143 or 5044 (see the other thread, in the last case his play is irrelevant). Declarer is unlikely to open a weak 2 with 2533 shape. The spade-underlead also gives declarer a chance to misguess. 4144 is my most likely distributions with the known minor-suit lengths.

Partner underled his ♠A, which was very succesful when I had QJxx, x, Axxx, QJxx and declarer had xxx, KQTxx, KQx, xx, the only play to lead to +800

Note that if declarer really is 2533 we still get +800 and what should be a good board (but miss the possible 1100). The IMP-scale also favours partners actual play. Assuming opponents at the other table make 450 in 4♠ (as they did) we gain 6 IMP's (8-2) and lose 4 IMP's (12-8) when comparing the 2 critical layouts.

John