[xx1943]

Scoring: IMP

West North East South
  -     Pass  Pass Pass
 1NT  Pass   2♣  Pass
  2♠   Pass  3NT  Pass
Pass  Pass

---

Partner leads ♣4 and declarer orders the Q from dummy.
1) which card do you play under the Q?
2) What do you discard, if declarer starts to play ♦s?

Thanks for your ideas. I'll post the full hand after some replies.

Al

[Walddk]

I need additional info:

1) What are our leads against NT? 4th, 3rd/5th, attitude?
2) How do we give count? Standard or upside-down?
3) Before I decide what to discard on the second diamond (will likely be a club), I need to know which club declarer played at trick 1.

Roland

[whereagles]

1. Playing standard carding, the book (Kantar's book, actually) recommends giving count. The rule goes something like: "in NT, when dummy has Qx(+) or lower, pard leads low and you can't beat dummy's card, give count". Accordingly, I'd play the 8.

2. I'll start with an encouraging heart, probably followed by the rest of my clubs.

[ArtK78]

I would play the J, promising the 10.

Partner led a low card, indicating that he has something in the suit led. Unless he led from a 3 card holding to an honor, playing the J is likely to help us rather than hurt us. It might even be the beginning of an unblock (Partner could have led the 4 from A9643 or K9643).

[pclayton]

Spoiler

I'll assume std carding and 4th best. The 4 spot indicates there are 7 cards higher than the 4 in ours, the board and dummy. So declarer has 3 of em.

Is there anything to indicate from the play of the Q at T1? Not really. Declarer would play the Q from any holding (we are looking at the JT), such as Kxx, Axx and xxx.

I will normally signal count here since I can't beat dummy but I can't afford the J since declarer may have K97 or K96. The Jack does help pard if pard led from Kxxx, but lets not start by blowing tricks in the suit we need to cash.

[ArtK78]

If we lead 4th best, and partner has the 3, then declarer can have only 2 clubs.

So, if he does have K9x, it must be K93.

I did not consider the possibility that partner could have lead from A974, but it is a possibility.

This is not a trivial problem. If declarer has the K9 doubleton, you need to unblock. It is only necessary to unblock the 8, but if you play UDCA, partner may not be able to read your card. Quite frankly, even if you play standard signals, partner may not be able to read your card.

This is IMPs, so I am going to try to beat the contract. I am going to play for partner to have exactly one side winner and Axxxx of clubs, so I will play the ♣J at trick one. When [and if] declarer follows to trick one with the 9, partner will be able to work out to bang down the ♣A when he wins a trick, and I will continue to unblock so that we can run the suit.

[y66]

Will play CJ. Don't know if we're playing count or attitude here (will read up on Kantar). Doesn't this work either way? Don't see how it costs if we're leading 4th best.

Will pitch hearts on diamonds, starting with H3 then H2. Hoping we can take a spade, a heart, a diamond and 2 clubs.

Like this problem. Am weak here. More please.

[xx1943]

Walddk, on Dec 19 2007, 07:25 PM, said:

I need additional info:

1) What are our leads against NT? 4th, 3rd/5th, attitude?
2) How do we give count? Standard or upside-down?
3) Before I decide what to discard on the second diamond (will likely be a club), I need to know which club declarer played at trick 1.

Roland

1) leads are 4th normal priority is attitude
2) standard carding high/low
3) Declarer follows with ♣6

[xx1943]

Scoring: IMP


West North East South
  -     Pass  Pass Pass
 1NT  Pass   2♣  Pass
  2♠   Pass  3NT  Pass
Pass  Pass

Lead is ♣4 dummy plays ♣Q and declarer contributes the ♣6.

---

1) Die opinions are divided if South should signal with the 8 or the J.
The J is ambigous. It maybe from Jx, or J10x, so with J108x the 8 seems the better card. It is the right card showing length AND attitude
2) If Declarer starts playing ♦, iI would discard ♣J and ♣10 after I had signalled with the 8. Thereafter partner cannot go wrong.
3) But what if declarer plays ♠K at trick2 and continues with ♠? Can North imagine, that the ♣cs are there to cash??
Will a "Smith-Peter" in ♠ from South help or is the the 8 on the K just a length-signal?

Would be interested if someone had a logical system to solve this problem.


Thks

Al