[Walddk]

Scoring: IMP

S: 5D
Lead: SK

---

Vugraph from Brazil last night. You arrived in a rather shaky 5♦ after LHO overcalled spades and RHO doubled 2♠ by your partner (sound diamond raise).

The lead is ♠K, and you decide to win the ace and cash ♦AK, both opponents following*. Damn, we should have been in 3NT it transpires. Anyway, you continue with a club from hand to which Chagas produces the king. Over to you.

* You may have wanted to adopt a different line, but that is not the point.

Roland

[paulg]

I think the only combinations we need to consider are:

KTx opposite Qxx
KQx opposite Txx
KTxx opposite Qx
KQxx opposite Tx
KQTx opposite xx
KQTxx opposite x

The first four cancel out so you should win the ace and finesse the 9 on the second round. This assumes Chagas would play the king from all these holdings, which I'm sure he would. Might be different down the club!

Paul

[skjaeran]

cardsharp, on Sep 8 2007, 10:27 AM, said:

I think the only combinations we need to consider are:

KTx opposite Qxx
KQx opposite Txx
KTxx opposite Qx
KQxx opposite Tx
KQTx opposite xx
KQTxx opposite x

The first four cancel out so you should win the ace and finesse the 9 on the second round. This assumes Chagas would play the king from all these holdings, which I'm sure he would. Might be different down the club!

Paul

Ahem. There's just 13 clubs in a normal deck. When we've got 8, opponents usually has 5 combined.
Why wouldn't Chagas play low from KQx/KQxx?

I'd think there was three holdings Chaga would be playing the king from: K, KQ, KTx. So I'd take the ace, eliminate hearts and exit a spade. If Chagas win and lead a low club I insert dummy's 8. If Chagas has KQ I can't go wrong of course, and if he's got K, whoever wins the spade is endplayed.

[paulg]

skaeran, on Sep 8 2007, 10:28 AM, said:

Ahem. There's just 13 clubs in a normal deck. When we've got 8, opponents usually has 5 combined.

[hide]

Spoiler

******

![/hide]

[Fluffy]

Just win the ace, eliminate hearts and play a spade, Only way to go down is RHO has ♣Q10x and we are already down then ain't we?

[han]

Yes, what Fluffy said.

[Walddk]

Scoring: IMP

S: 5D
Lead: SK

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Skaeran and/or Fluffy should have played the hand. They would have landed the game.

- 1. ♠K to the ace.
- 2. ♦A.
- 3. ♦K.
- 4. Club to king and ace.
- 5. ♥A.
- 6. Heart to the king.
- 7. Heart ruff.
- 8. Spade.

EW can now choose their poison. Either is endplayed when he wins this trick. After trick 4 declarer went wrong because elimination did not cross his mind. He was just hoping that he could restrict his club losers to one by leading a club up next.
Down 1.

Kit Woolsey who was commentating at the time called it a blunder by declarer. That is a strong word, but I think it's fair to say that declarer misplayed the hand. By adopting the elimination line, declarer does not spurn his chances in the club suit. The worst case scenario is that will be on a guess if West wins the spade and plays a low club.

If West started with Kx, the contract would not make in any event.

Roland

[FrancesHinden]

It's an interesting suit.

Suppose you eliminate hearts right at the start, then once trumps are 2-2, you lead towards the AJ98x and LHO plays low. This is a bit strange, because against good players you expected an honour to go in from most holdings.

Do you

i) Play the ace, playing for either hand to have Hx (eliminate hearts, exit in spades) or RHO to have singleton honour

ii) Play the Jack, because LHO only wouldn't have split from KQx, on any other holding would have played an honour

iii) Play the 9, which gains over the Ace only when LHO has KQ10x

[Fluffy]

Walddk, on Sep 9 2007, 06:22 AM, said:

The worst case scenario is that will be on a guess if West wins the spade and plays a low club.

I think there is no guess left, if East has 2 clubs he will be endplayed after winning, and if he has 3 nothing works.