[Walddk]

Scoring: IMP

S: 3NT

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From the Danish Club Team Championships over the weekend.

1N - 2♣
2♠ - 3N
P

Lead: ♦2 (4th best).

A straightforward auction to a normal contract. West leads an annoying ♦2, your weakish spot. How do you plan the play? Advanced and better players are kindly requested to wait until the B/I's have had a go, alternatively use hidden text.

Roland

[vuroth]

Ahh so many options - a sure sign I'll get this wrong.

So RHO has 5 ♦s. I'm not really keen about him leading diamonds through me, though of course if the honours are split and I guess right I might survive. Still, I think I'd rather be putting LHO on lead, if I have to.

So, while the clubs look like the most promising source of tricks, normally, I think the risk is just too great. (There are some Hx holdings I can pick up for 1 loser and take 3♠, 1♥, 1♦ and 4♣, but individually they seem like longshots)

Instead, I'll aim for 4♠, 3♥, 1♦ and 1♣.

A♦. Cash the A♥, low to the QJ.

If RHO wins and returns a ♦ or ♠, I have my 9. If she returns a ♣, I might pick up my 9th trick on a guess in ♣s. A ♥ return is best, but maybe she'll be out. (A ♥ return also makes it safer to put her back on lead.)

If LHO wins and returns a ♦, guess time. I'll go with the T and pray. Anything else, I win,.

When I'm back in, cash A♠, cross to the K♠, cash the 9♥, and finesse the J♠.

[jocdelevat]

I play clubs for one looser which give us the 9tricks. I m not sure thats how it should be play but I play ace club then small towards q. If I don't play clubs then I need 2 finese 2 suits for 2tricks instead of one suit twice which the last option I think has more chances .

[y66]

Straightforward if LHO has HK or RHO has DJ. I'll play for one of these to be true. Will also try a club to the ace at trick 2. Maybe something good will happen there.

[Mosene]

This is a great hand - I don't think it is quite a beginner hand - a lot of options - too many. I might try the club 10 and duck it if RHO plays the 9. Maybe RHO has K9 or something like that. Probably too clever by half.

[RichMor]

Declarer needs to develop extra tricks in Hearts or Clubs.

If the K of Hearts is with West then a simple finesse will produce 4 tricks in the suit. That's a 50% chance of success plus some chance of success if the finesse loses and East has both Diamond honors or one Diamond honor and declarer can guess what to do when East returns a Diamond.

Playing a Club to the Ace and then a Club toward the dummy will work if West holds Kx, KJ, or KJx or if East holds the singleton King. This line of play will fail if West holds x, xx, or xxx. Again there is the same 'plus' chance of success if declarer is lucky in Diamonds.

Math is not my strong suit but I make the Heart chances about the same as the Club chances.

So I would play a Club to the Ace just in case East plays the singleton King. If not I will finesse in Hearts.