[Gerben47]

The following hand from a league match yesterday is quite interesting to analyze.

You have this inspiring collection:

♠ Txx
♥ Jxx
♦ Qxx
♣ Kxxx

and hear the following bidding sequence:

1♠ - 2♥
4♦ splinter - 4NT rkc
5♥ 2 no q - 6♥

Partner leads the 5 of ♣ (3rd 5th, you have not discussed slam leads in particular) and dummy comes down with:

♠ KJ9xxx
♥ Axx
♦ x
♣ AQx

Dummy plays the Queen and you win the King (declarer plays small). Just in case it matters, the invisible Clubs are now: J, 10, 7, 3.

Partner's lead found your King. Now you can beat the contract by returning the right suit. Which is it?

Gerben

[helium]

hi:)after 5♣lead i guess i whould play a small♥back, think my p whould play a bigger ♣if he were void in ♠
but im guess the correct return is♠ now?

kenneth

[inquiry]

Return a ♣ and knock out entry to the long ♠. Your only chance is if declarer has a stiff A♠. If you return anything but a ♣, declearer will cash win in hand. Cash a ♠, cross to dummy in ♥, ruff a ♠, pull trumps, cross to dummy in clubs, and run ♠'s. Play declarer for something like...

♠ A
♥ KQTxx
♦ Axxxx
♣ Tx

[Gerben47]

How does a ♥ help now? It must be the worst return since it loses if partner has either ace or even if he has ♥Kx or ♥Qx, which are 4 important possibilities to consider.

[helium]

sry i meant ♣club too offcourse

[luis]

inquiry, on Mar 8 2004, 01:55 PM, said:

Return a ♣ and knock out entry to the long ♠. Your only chance is if declarer has a stiff A♠. If you return anything but a ♣, declearer will cash win in hand. Cash a ♠, cross to dummy in ♥, ruff a ♠, pull trumps, cross to dummy in clubs, and run ♠'s. Play declarer for something like...

♠ A
♥ KQTxx
♦ Axxxx
♣ Tx

---

If the hand is the one you suggest Ben declarer's play doesn't make any sense.
Take the cA
Spade to the ace
Diamond ace
Diamond ruff
Spade king discarding a club
club ruff
diamond ruff
club ruff
Diamond ruff with the hA
spade ruff
Now KQ of hearts and concede the fifth diamond at the end.

Some inferences:
I think that my pd doesn't have the cJ because underleading a Jack againstt a slam is a very horrible idea. Even when it works.
Next I think declarer is missing the hQ or a side ace because with all the aces and the hQ he would have asked for kings to play 7
Declarer doesn't have Ax of spades, he would have rised with the cA and stablish spades for discards.
Declarer doesn't have 2 clubs because he would take the cA and discard a club in the sK.
So why declarer played the cQ instead of low to his Jack? Maybe because he needs to conceal the cJ
I think declarer is missing the hQ, pd may have the singleton hQ I can't imagine a hand where the sA or the dA is missing and declarer can still make the slam.

Something is wrong in this hand. Something is wrong.

[Trpltrbl]

♣ back, I will not touch the ♥ since I might just give up a for sure winner by doing that. If pd was void in ♠ I am sure I would have gotten a high♣ lead.

Mike

[Free]

Return a ♦. I guess declarer doesn't have the ace, and partner had a really great lead (if he lead ♦A they would make the contract).