[xcurt]

Scoring: XIMP

Opponents don't bid:

1♣-1♥
1NT-2♦*
2NT-3NT
Pass

* Not discussed but both hands correctly assumed NMF

---

Opposition is known to you and are good players.

(1) Assess the blame for reaching this awful contract.
(2) LHO leads the ♦5

♦5-3-K-9
♣8-5-Q-2
♣7-4-K-?

Over to you

[gnasher]

Clubs appear to be 2=4. I can't think of anything better than trying to make three heart tricks without losing a trick to East, then squeezing East in the black suits. Unless West has ♠Hx, he'll be able to break this up by playing spades twice.

I'll need West to have ♥AQx. Win ♣A and lead ♥J, ducking when West plays the queen. Win the hoped-for diamond continuation and play another heart, setting up three winners. Squeeze East in the black suits.

If West switches to spades when he's in with ♥Q, play for split honours.

[pclayton]

Very tough hand. Both of you overbid a little, especially your pard.

5 tricks and we are a long way from 9.

It looks like the clubs are ♣Q7/♣KJ98, even though the Q play is strange. Diamonds might be 6-1 although its possible for some reason East felt the need to shift to my suit right away. If diamonds aren't 6-1, it tells me that the heart suit is lying favorably.

I think I need the heart suit to cooperate, but I don't want to let RHO in otherwise they will cash 2 hearts, 2 clubs and the diamond.

I'm winning the club and floating the ♥J. If it gets covered with the Q I'm winning, playing a diamond to hand and leading another heart. If LHO wins the ♥A, I'll play to keep RHO off lead by leading a heart and ducking the Q. I can't afford to create an entry with RHO holding ♥Txx. If LHO continues diamonds, I win in hand and lead another heart up. If RHO has the ♠QJ or 5 spades, I've got him.

If LHO shifts to a low spade, I think I need an original holding of Hx to make this. If LHO shifts to a spade honor, win on the board, hook the spade, heart up, etc..

This means that LHO passed with ♠?? ♥AQx ♦T87532 ♣Q7. Maybe yes, maybe no, but I can't see another choice.

[Halo]

50% opening (IMO) and then either 50% for 3NT, or 100% for 3NT if the opening was normal.

How the play goes, good luck; we all play hands like this; and if you came out right side up then well done.

[xcurt]

RHO had Qxxxx, Tx, Kx, KJ98, so gnasher's line works.

Capturing the HQ with the K doesn't work, since LHO can duck the next heart allowing RHO in to cash clubs.

I didn't see this at the table and just ducked the second club reflexively. I didn't want to open 1C but I figured that partner would expect me to open this hand, so I did it, hoping to survive.

[Sambolino]

wd for solving, but i don't think this is so tough. after decoding club layout there's really only one line and it happens to work

[pclayton]

Rats - but nice analysis by Gnasher here.

One of these hands where I cooked it perfectly, but dropped the tray on the way to the table. Oh well.

[nige1]

xcurt, on Jun 13 2008, 01:58 PM, said:

Scoring: XIMP

1♣-1♥
1NT-2♦*
2NT-3NT
AP
* Not discussed but both hands correctly assumed NMF
Opposition is known to you and are good players.

(1) Assess the blame for reaching this awful contract.
(2) LHO leads the ♦5
♦5-3-K-9
♣8-5-Q-2
♣7-4-K-?

---

IMO North should pass 2N.

Gnasher's line is cunning but depends on LHO holding ♥AQx(x), 2♣, and a ♠ honour. The ♣ play by expert opponents is incomprehensible and xcurt did a better job of sussing it out than I would have. My guess was: win ♣A, eliminate ♦ and exit in ♣ hoping to endplay RHO holding an original ♣KJx

[gnasher]

nige1, on Jun 15 2008, 06:46 PM, said:

My guess was: win ♣A, eliminate ♦ and exit in ♣ hoping to endplay RHO holding an original ♣KJx

How many tricks would that give you?

[nige1]

nige1, on Jun 15 2008, 06:46 PM, said:

My guess was: win ♣A, eliminate ♦ and exit in ♣ hoping to endplay RHO holding an original ♣KJx

gnasher, on Jun 15 2008, 04:10 PM, said:

How many tricks would that give you?

Nine ... Duh ... Eight
It is wicked to mock the afflicted