[Walddk]

Scoring: IMP

N: 3NT
Lead: D10

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This hand from yesterday's open teams final in Antalya is one of the most interesting I have seen for a long time. The Israeli NS pair arrived in 3NT after South had bid clubs and spades, North hearts via a transfer bid (1♦).

East led ♦10 to partner's ace and ♦3 came back to declarer's king. The Indian defenders must have had the agreement that you return middle of the remaining three. Anyway, the contract made, and the board was flat.

Should the contract have made after diamond to the ace and a diamond back?

Roland

[Fluffy]

Looks like East is squeezed on the run of the tricks, and that West cannot duck the hearts to prevent it because north can switch to clubs if this happens.


What I wonder is if playing for this line is best approach, I think at the table I would just play a heart to avoid too many undertricks and then realice I make it by luck.

[Fluffy]

Ok, another glance and I see it:

Spoiler

East can discard 2 clubs and a top diamond on the run of the hearts, West has to keep all his diamonds to have an entry with ♦5 over partner's ♦4 and score the settign trick with 5th heart

[skjaeran]

Declarer won't succed if he sets up the clubs, thus he's got to set ut hearts. West is forced to take the first heart, else declarer with one trick in the bag can abandon the suit and play on clubs.

After winning the 1st ♥ west clears the ♦'s. Declarer cashes his ♥'s. East is forced to keep ♠QJ9 and ♣KQ, and thus has to part with a ♦. If he unblocked twice earlier and now discards his last high ♦, keeping his ♦4, there's an entry to west after east wins a ♣ or ♠. West can then score the 5th ♥ as the setting trick (2♥'s, 2♦'s and a black trick).

[FrancesHinden]

Surely it's symmetrical. You can play on clubs instead - win the diamond and play a low club; East has to split or you switch to hearts; you clear clubs, win the third diamond and run clubs. East discards his heart, but when you now duck a spade they have 2 diamonds, a spade, a diamond to the 5 and the ace of hearts.

[foo]

Quote

Should the contract have made after diamond to the ace and a diamond back?

No. Declarer can not set up both rounded suits if E keeps both ♣ honors and 2 ♦'s. Even if W can't get in, sooner or later Declarer has a problem as long as E saves the right cards.

[Walddk]

Scoring: IMP

N: 3NT
Lead: D10

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This was the position before declarer played his last heart. East was caught to either unguard one of the black suits or toss a diamond winner. If he does, declarer can set up his 9th trick in clubs.

Most of us would routinely have followed with ♦4 when a diamond was returned at trick 2, and that would be the end of the defence. Throw all your high diamonds away and retain the precious 4, your lifeline to partner's 5 and the heart trick declarer reluctantly had to set up for him. Well spotted by fluffy, Harald and Frances.

At the other table the contract was a make at trick 1 when East led ♦4!

Give East ♦5 and West the 4 and there is nothing the defence can do. Did anyone say that spot cards are insignificant? More often than not they are, but here they are not.

The beauty of bridge!

Roland