[kgr]

Scoring: IMP

1♣-(1♥)-1♠-(3♥)
pas-(4♥)-4♠-DBL
All pass

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1: Lead ♥Q for ♥A of RHO.
2&3: RHO returns ♦A followed by ♦7 for your K (LHO playing ♦J and ♦Q).
4: You play a small ♠ to the Ace in dummy and RHO discards ♦2.
5: You play ♠Q from dummy and RHO discards ♦5.
How do you continue from here?

[PassedOut]

Heart king, finesse club, ruff heart, ace of clubs, ruff club, exit with diamond.

[FrancesHinden]

After winning the DK at trick 3, I would have taken the club finesse immediately. Assuming that won, I would have continued with the ace of spades (getting the bad news), heart to the king, ace of clubs, heart ruff in hand, diamond ruff with the queen of spades.

I am now down to 4 spades in hand, K1096, and 4 clubs in dummy. LHO is down to J873, and I will still lose two spade tricks, for one off.

That probably wasn't the answer...

[kgr]

PassedOut, on Dec 1 2007, 07:41 PM, said:

Heart king, finesse club, ruff heart, ace of clubs, ruff club, exit with diamond.

right. My partner was following this line and I was already typing to congratulate him with his nice play. But instead of exiting with a ♦ he played ♠K

[FrancesHinden]

kgr, on Dec 2 2007, 12:56 AM, said:

PassedOut, on Dec 1 2007, 07:41 PM, said:

Heart king, finesse club, ruff heart, ace of clubs, ruff club, exit with diamond.

right. My partner was following this line and I was already typing to congratulate him with his nice play. But instead of exiting with a ♦ he played ♠K

I'm confused. It sounds as if LHO has 5 spades, 4 hearts, 2 diamonds and 3 clubs.

[PassedOut]

FrancesHinden, on Dec 3 2007, 05:21 AM, said:

kgr, on Dec 2 2007, 12:56 AM, said:

PassedOut, on Dec 1 2007, 07:41 PM, said:

Heart king, finesse club, ruff heart, ace of clubs, ruff club, exit with diamond.

right. My partner was following this line and I was already typing to congratulate him with his nice play. But instead of exiting with a ♦ he played ♠K

I'm confused. It sounds as if LHO has 5 spades, 4 hearts, 2 diamonds and 3 clubs.

Seems no choice but to play LHO for 5=3=2=3 with the problem as given.

Substitute the spade eight for declarer's spade six and you could ruff your last diamond at trick four to guard against doubleton club on your left. Then top spade, heart king, spade king, and spade ten. That way you can still get back to your hand (by ruffing a heart low) to finish drawing trumps.

RHO helped a lot by cashing the diamond ace at trick two instead of continuing hearts, a sign that he did not hold the club king.