[FrancesHinden]

I'm not sure if this is an interesting problem or not.... I gave it a huge amount of thought at the table and decided it was a complete guess what was right.

Dummy is East.
You are South

Scoring: IMP

1NT P 2♦ P
2♥ P 4♥ all pass

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1NT = good 14 - bad 17 (if declarer has 17 he is 4333 in some order)
transfer & bid 4H was the only way they have to sign off in 4H by opener (an immediate 4H response would also have been to play).

Partner leads the 6 of clubs, third and fifth
Declarer plays the 9 from dummy, you the 10 and declarer wins with the ace.
Declarer plays a low heart to partner's 9, dummy's jack and your queen.

Now what? Why?

[gnasher]

I'd play back a heart, in case partner is about to get endplayed with Jx Ax K10xxx Qxxx or something similar.

If declarer had something like Jx xxx Axx AKQ8x or Axx xx Kxx AKQ8x, a diamond would be necessary.

[dcvetkov]

I would probably go passive and return a heart.

This game is marginal and partner is marked with few points and declarer just misguessed trumps. The only worry maybe be can eventual club loser dissapear ( on diamonds), in case declarer has AK10x, or AKxxx. In case of desparation, he may decide to take diamonds finesse and be succesfful, but I will bet against that.

Edit: From the first trick, partner likely has Q of clubs, and declarer the king

[xcurt]

Jlall, on May 7 2008, 08:39 AM, said:

I really think that declarer has AKQ8x of clubs a lot. Of course with AKx opp 9x it's free to play the 9 but people never do that. Also, if this was one of the people who did do stuff like that you would know it (it becomes obvious during a match when declarer will play random spot cards from dummy to confuse you at trick 1).

Given all of that I think a diamond is stand out. A good thing about playing a diamond is it looks like you're underleading the ace not the queen so he will misguess a lot if possible.

If the layout is something like this,

Scoring: IMP

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wouldn't declarer have a better line of cashing clubs from the top to try to pitch a diamond from the table before attacking trumps? If the second club is ruffed on the left LHO cannot profitably attack diamonds and we have a better chance to pick up trumps for one loser. Since LHO can only have one spot above the spot he led, RHO isn't likely to ruff in.

I haven't thought this through in great depth but my immediate reaction is to cash partner's HA and hope he exits with the C8.

[FrancesHinden]

Jlall, on May 7 2008, 02:39 PM, said:

I really think that declarer has AKQ8x of clubs a lot. Of course with AKx opp 9x it's free to play the 9 but people never do that. Also, if this was one of the people who did do stuff like that you would know it (it becomes obvious during a match when declarer will play random spot cards from dummy to confuse you at trick 1).

Given all of that I think a diamond is stand out. A good thing about playing a diamond is it looks like you're underleading the ace not the queen so he will misguess a lot if possible.

Maybe I should have mentioned that partner really really hates leading low doubletons and almost never would.

This is the full layout:

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As justin points out, a low diamond is probably your best chance of beating the contract as that does tend to be away from the ace in this position.

My partner had this hand, and he also considered playing a spade - he thought that if declarer knew he had no spade loser he would just be on the diamond guess and might go wrong, but if the diamond suit was (say) Jx opposite K1098x then he may just play for the DQ onside because it avoids any chance of a spade loser.

At the table he went passive, and declarer got the suit right on the basis I might have led a diamond from the queen but not from the ace.