[nige1]

Scoring: IMP

European Open Championships
England v Czech Republic
Hands rotated to make declarer South
(_P) _P (_P) 1N
(_P) 2♦ (_P) 2♥
(_P) 2N (_P) 3♥
(_P) 4♥ AP
LHO leads ♦K 2 5 A
You lead ♦7 J 4 6
LHO switches to ♥7 8 A 3
RHO returns ♥2 K T 5
The Hackett twins spear-head the English fight back and are doing well on the Butler In the other room the contract was 2♥= but typical gutsy bidding got the brothers to a pushy game . Unfortunately, declarer didn't exploit a subtle extra chance spotted by commentator David Burn.

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[xcurt]

nige1, on Jun 20 2008, 11:08 AM, said:

Scoring: IMP

European Open Championships
England v Czech Republic
Hands rotated to make declarer South
(_P) _P (_P) 1N
(_P) 2♦ (_P) 2♥
(_P) 2N (_P) 3♥
(_P) 4♥ AP
LHO leads ♦K 2 5 A
You lead ♦7 J 4 6
LHO switches to ♥7 8 A 3
RHO returns ♥2 K T 5
The Hackett twins spear-head the English fight back and are doing well on the Butler . In the other room the contract was 2♥= but typical gutsy bidding got the brothers to a pushy game . Unfortunately, declarer didn't exploit a subtle extra chance spotted by commentator David Burn.

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Did LHO have xxx, Qxx, KQJx, Jxx?*

* SA, CQ->K-A, C ruff, now D ruff with RHO failing, C ruff felling the J, S finesse, SK pitching diamond, CT pitching diamond.

This timing loses to LHO having DKQJ and the CK and the HQ. Might he have passed that red/red? Would help to know the opponents here

[nige1]

xcurt, on Jun 20 2008, 08:51 PM, said:

Did LHO have xxx, Qxx, KQJx, Jxx?
...
Would help to know the opponents here

LHO is Jacub Slemr, RHO is David Vozabal. Declarer relied on a 3-3 diamond break that failed to materialise
David Burn's suggestion is quite simple but rather pretty
It caters for LHO having 3 diamonds, for example
♠ QTxx ♥ QTx ♦ KQJ ♣ Kxx
It also succeeds against xcurt's example hand and LHO's actual hand:
♠ xxx ♥ QTx ♦ KQJx ♣ Kxx
Futhermore it can succeed against other LHO hands such as
♠ xxx ♥ Tx ♦ KQJx ♣ KJxx

[xcurt]

nige1, on Jun 21 2008, 06:04 AM, said:

♠ xxx ♥ QTx ♦ KQJx ♣ Kxx

Declarer can succeed on an elopement against the actual hand.

CA, C ruff, D ruff, now if the diamonds didn't split, C ruff, 3 rounds of spades and then another black card makes dummy's last trump.

[nige1]

Well done XCurt the recommended play is
♥K, ♣A, ♣ ruff, ♦ ruff.
If ♦ are 3-3 then claim. Otherwise:
♣ ruff, ♠A, finesse ♠J, ♠K, ♣ or ♠ ruff
This effects a coup en passant against LHO when he holds
♠ xxx ♥ QTx ♦ KQJx ♣ Jxx
or his actual hand:
♠ xxx ♥ QTx ♦ KQJx ♣ Kxx
but it also effects a pretty elopement when LHO has say
♠ xxx ♥ Tx ♦ KQJx ♣ KJxx
In the latter case, when declarer ruffs the 3rd ♦ in hand, RHO can discard a black suit; but he must follow suit when declarer ruffs the other black suit in dummy, at trick 12!

[xcurt]

nige1, on Jun 21 2008, 04:13 PM, said:

Well done XCurt the recommended play is

Well I didn't get it the first time either. I'll take some consolation in the Hackett twin missing the same play. Well done to ENGLAND slipping in at the wire too and good luck to your lads in RR2.