[jchiu]

Playing the last board of a long and close match at the national championships, you pick up

---

Your partner opens 1♣, strong and artificial (16+ HCP usually, says nothing about clubs). You respond 1♠, showing a positive response (8+HCP usually, two controls, 4+♠). Your partner rebids 1NT showing 19-21 HCP. You bid a natural 2♣, which excites partner to jump to 3♠. This bid shows at least three of the top four honors in your suits, and sets spades as trumps. You cuebid 4♣, optimisitcally, after which partner checks for keycards and signs off in 6♠.

LHO takes quite a pause to consider his lead, and eventually emerges with the ♦6 (3/5 from length) as your heart races in anticipation.

---

It's certainly not cold, but has its chances. The other table is playing a standard five-card majors system, so it seems to rests on your play. Will you come through for your team?

[jchiu]

A conversation I had with one of my regulars follows. Highlight for spoilers.


Matt: Well that one is a bit complicated. I'm going to start DA, D ruff, S to the Q, ruff D high, spade
Jason: Spades break.
Matt: Both have followed to 3 rounds of diamonds?
Jason: Yes.
Matt: I'm down to:
9 A62 J AQ8

K Q94 --- K1062
Matt: ... and there's a spade outstanding.
Jason: yes
Matt: ... and I haven't seen a diamond honor yet?
Jason: Nope.
Matt: Ok I'm going to ruff my last diamond and play a club to the A and draw the last trump. What I have learned?
Jason: LHO has three spades, diamonds are 4-4, and RHO pitches an encouraging heart on the spade. What did you pitch from hand?
Matt: A heart. So the ending is:
--- A62 --- Q8

--- Q9 --- K106
Jason: indeed
Matt: This is such a table feel hand. Let me think of the technical aspects though. I'll play a small heart to the Q in hand.
Jason: LHO wins the heart K and plays another heart.
Matt: Okay I win the A. Lay down the club Q.
Jason: No news.
Matt: ... and finesse if righty plays low, since righty was forced to guard the clubs.

Jason: I threw you a red herring by throwing an encouraging H.
Matt: Yeah, but it's not so much that.
Jason: Alternately, you could first finesse clubs. If it loses, LHO is endplayed if you believe his original huddle.
Matt: Yeah, the problem with my line is if Ds are 5-3, I have fewer options in the heart suit. But I learned an awful lot about the hand.
Jason: Indeed, but it probably boils down to guessing clubs.

[inquiry]

Two lines seem reasonable...

Line one, hope for 4♣ trikcs and heart king with RHO.
Line two, dummy reversal (ruff 3♦) playing essentially for 6♠ (3 ruffs and three top winners in dummy) and either heart king with R"HO or 4♣ or some sort of vulnerable stopper "squeeze" (endplay). This line requires 3-2 ♠ but you can test for that before you fully commit. An advantage here is should RHO have HEART KING and four clubs, and you play for 3-3 clubs or club JACK drop, he wins the fourth round and has to lead away from the heart king. But how to play will depend a bit on what you discover in the play about distribution.

[whereagles]

I think I would play it as follows. Take ♦A and..

1. Play heart to the queen. If it wins, I'm in good shape. If not..

2. Play 2 top trumps and take the club finesse, hoping RHO has 3 trumps and ♣J9xx, so that I can disc a heart from dummy and ruff last heart.

Not too fancy, but practical.

[kenrexford]

I'm with the dummy reversal line suggested by Inquiry. There are some additional options available after starting this line, as suggested. The person with a fourth spade might have 4144 pattern, with four small clubs, or fewer clubs but the heart King (squeeze), or some other layouts, as mentioned.

Further, if trumps cooperate but clubs do not, hopefully the club Jack is with the heart King, or I guess to finesse, or whatever.

[david_c]

Intuitively, I would take the heart finesse at trick two. It must be right to play for a dummy reversal, but that can wait. I feel like I have better control of the hand if I give up the heart trick immediately.