[han]

10854
AK10
9x
xxxx

A7
9x
AK10x
AKQxx



South plays 6C on the lead of the spade 6. I don't know what carding this Russian pair used but let's say they use 3/low. Plan the play.

[Simplicity]

How about duck the first spade and win the return (presumably a spade), then cash two top clubs. If clubs are 2-2 claim, if they are 3-1 draw the outstanding trump cash the ♦AK, ruff a diamond, ruff a spade back to hand.

With only 1 player able to guard each of spades and diamonds hopefully the last trump will execute a simple squeeze or double squeeze if the heart honours are split

[benlessard]

Agree cant find anything better

[FrancesHinden]

Well, I can improve that line slightly.
Win the opening lead.
Cash the AK of clubs. If all follow, claim.
If someone blows, draw the last trump and concede a spade.
Win the heart(?) return (that's worst), take a diamond ruff, ruff a spade to hand, cash the last trump.

This the same as your line, but avoids going off when RHO has KQJxxx spades.

This line isn't brilliant, because of the entry problems. It basically needs spades to be guarded on our left and diamonds on our right because of the entry problems.

None of the simple squeezes work. For example, if LHO is, say, 4243, he discards a heart on the last trump.

The alternative is to ruff two diamonds in dummy. That needs trumps 2-2 or the long diamond(s) to be with the long trumps. It also has slight entry difficulties. Win the lead, CA, DAK ruff (I think is best), CK, D ruff, taxi back to hand to draw the last trump. You are rather better if RHO has the long trumps than LHO.

If you take two top trumps first you don't pay out to someone being 2=3 in the minors, but you need to get back to hand twice now (heart ruff and spade ruff) which is more dangerous.

[Fluffy]

you can also take a double finese, at leas one of them was working

[gnasher]

FrancesHinden, on Oct 7 2008, 02:08 PM, said:

Well, I can improve that line slightly.
Win the opening lead.
Cash the AK of clubs. If all follow, claim.
If someone blows, draw the last trump and concede a spade.
Win the heart(?) return (that's worst), take a diamond ruff, ruff a spade to hand, cash the last trump.

After the second spade, they won't return a heart - they'll play back a third spade. Once you've ruffed a heart you'll be stranded in dummy and forced to ruff your spade menace.

[han]

The Indian declarer won the opening lead and played two rounds of trumps, east showing out on the second.

Now declarer played diamond, diamond, diamond ruff, heart, heart, heart ruff and the fourth diamond. It looks to me like this is a 0% line. Even if West can follow to 3 rounds of hearts and 4 rounds of diamonds, once you ruff the fourth diamond in dummy you have to exit with a spade and East will win (Unless West led low from Qx). Then west can just play the major in which West has no cards left.

If you plan to ruff two diamonds in dummy then you should duck the opening lead. That way you guarantee the contract when west is 3343. Of course you lose when trumps were splitting and spades are 6-1. I don't remember the auction but it is possible that ♠KQJxxx can be ruled out.

The commentaters were all for taking the double diamond hook. It works.

[FrancesHinden]

I'm confused. West led the 6 from a 6-card spade suit? I assume from KJ9632?

This is a little awkward. As gnasher points out, playing this double squeeze puts you at risk of various ruffs. If you duck the spade, you go off if a spade ruff comes back - even if it doesn't at once, you are still going to have to cash the ace of spades before drawing all the trumps. If you take the spade and play one back at once, you might get caught by a trump promotion if spades are 5-2 and the short spade has singleton trump honour.

[han]

West had Q96 of spades I believe, sorry if I phrased something badly.

[MickyB]

han, on Oct 8 2008, 03:05 PM, said:

West had Q96 of spades I believe, sorry if I phrased something badly.

Not as such, you just got the black suits mixed up. Easy mistake

[han]

Ah alright, I changed it to "trumps" in one spot, any more mistakes?

[gnasher]

FrancesHinden, on Oct 8 2008, 02:52 PM, said:

As gnasher points out, playing this double squeeze puts you at risk of various ruffs.

That wasn't what I pointed out. My point was that when you lead your squeeze card you won't actually have a spade menace left, because you will have had to use it as an entry.

I think Simplicity's suggestion is clearly best. It loses only when LHO is 1=2 in the black suits.

[nige1]

FrancesHinden, on Oct 8 2008, 02:52 PM, said:

As gnasher points out, playing this double squeeze puts you at risk of various ruffs.

gnasher, on Oct 9 2008, 04:29 AM, said:

That wasn't what I pointed out.  My point was that when you lead your squeeze card you won't actually have a spade menace left, because you will have had to use it as an entry.
I think Simplicity's suggestion is clearly best.  It loses only when LHO is 1=2 in the black suits.

I prefer Frances' suggestion (Win the ♠ opening lead, draw trumps, and exit in ♠). If opponents lead 3/5 and West really has ♠Q96, then opponents lead a 3rd round of ♠, at their peril. On the contrary, you, yourself, might even set up a ♠ for your 12th trick by force.

[gnasher]

nige1, on Oct 13 2008, 02:58 AM, said:

I prefer Frances' suggestion (Win the ♠ opening lead, draw trumps, and exit in ♠). If opponents lead 3/5 and West really has ♠Q96, then opponents lead a 3rd round of ♠, at their peril. On the contrary, you, yourself, might even set up a ♠ for your 12th trick by force.

If LHO has only three spades, the double squeeze doesn't work anyway, so you will be reduced to a simple red-suit squeeze. If that's working, I will also make.

Taking the first spade loses when LHO has ♠Q96x and a double squeeze would operate. RHO can win the second spade and pay a third one, without setting up a trick.

[nige1]

nige1, on Oct 13 2008, 02:58 AM, said:

I prefer Frances' suggestion (Win the ♠ opening lead, draw trumps, and exit in ♠). If opponents lead 3/5 and West really has ♠Q96, then opponents lead a 3rd round of ♠, at their peril. On the contrary, you, yourself, might even set up a ♠ for your 12th trick by force.

gnasher, on Oct 13 2008, 04:02 AM, said:

If LHO has only three spades, the double squeeze doesn't work anyway, so you will be reduced to a simple red-suit squeeze.  If that's working, I will also make.
Taking the first spade loses when LHO has ♠Q96x and a double squeeze would operate.  RHO can win the second spade and pay a third one, without setting up a trick.

Gnasher's argument is powerful. But Frances' line seems preferrable because it preserves the chance of setting up a ♠ trick. On reflection, a compromise may be possible:
At trick one, still win RHO's ♠ honour with the Ace. Now cash ♣AK.

• If both foloow, then claim.
  
• If RHO shows out then cash ♣Q and exit in ♠.
  
• If LHO shows out then *immediately* lead a 3rd ♠, to preserve double- squeeze chances, without communication problems.