[ajm218]

---

The opps are playing acol and had the auction
1♥ 1♠
2NT 3NT

2NT is 18-20

We play 2nd and 4ths partner lead the 6♣ which went to the ten and my jack, declarer following with the 8, i returned the 3 to the 9 and queen and partner exited with the 7 of clubs, declarer pitched a ♦, which major would you pitch from?

[Codo]

I surely won't pitch a major at all. So, what is left?
There are three possible clues:

First: The bidding: Declarer has at most 3 Spades and 3 Diamonds, so I must hold on hearts.
Second the play: Declarer pitched his 5. diamond, not his 4. spade. He wants to play on spades more then on Diamonds, we MUST keep spades.
Third: Maybe pds 7 is a kind of signal for the missing suit. But the play seems to be so obvious that the discard is easy. If the 7 is a signal, it is a sign for spades. But there is no holding, where he wants us to play spades, so I doubt that the 7 shows anything.

[655321]

Codo, on Dec 12 2008, 08:09 AM, said:

I surely won't pitch a major at all. So, what is left?
There are three possible clues:

First: The bidding: Declarer has at most 3 Spades and 3 Diamonds, so I must hold on hearts.
Second the play: Declarer pitched his 5. diamond, not his 4. spade. He wants to play on spades more then on Diamonds, we MUST keep spades.
Third: Maybe pds 7 is a kind of signal for the missing suit. But the play seems to be so obvious that the discard is easy. If the 7 is a signal, it is a sign for spades. But there is no holding, where he wants us to play spades, so I doubt that the 7 shows anything.

Partner started with KQ7652, and led back the 7 from K752. How is that a signal for spades?

On the 3rd round of clubs, partner could have led the K or the 2, but instead led the 7. As far as I can see, partner's signal is all we have to go on - without a signal, declarer could have any of

(1) xx AKQxx AQx A98, or
(2) Kxx AKxx AQx A98, or
(3) Kx AKQ9 Axxx A98.

So, I am going to pitch a heart, playing partner for a heart card, and declarer to have a hand similar to (2).

[FrancesHinden]

Partner started with KQ762 of clubs. He led a systemic 6. He played the Q on the second round, which is the neutral card to play. He played the 7 on the third round, which is his middle remaining card. With three suits oustanding, if his card means anything it shows a heart card. He can't have the ace of diamonds, that is clear.

If opponents are playing Acol, that means declarer is either 3=4=3=3 or has five hearts. Can declarer be 4-4 in hearts and diamonds?

You haven't given the form of scoring, and this is a different problem at matchpoints and at imps. Let's assume it's imps, and we are maining trying to beat the contract.

- If partner has the king of spades, declarer has the AKQ of hearts, the A of clubs and the AQ of diamonds. He either has 5 hearts and can make 4 hearts, 2 spades, 2 diamonds, 1 club, or has 3 diamonds and has 3 hearts, 2 spades, 3 diamonds, 1 club. That means that declarer must have the SK and a spade discard will give declarer a trick immediately.

- If partner has the red suit queens we need to discard a diamond HONOUR on this trick

- if partner has the HK we just discard a heart and get on with it, declarer doesn't have 9 tricks.

But if partner has the HK declarer's diamond pitch doesn't really make sense.

Go on then, you've convinced me. I discard the king of diamonds. That will definitely make me famous if it works.

Declarer has

Kxx
AKQx
Axx
Axx

edit: if declarer has a hand such as your (2) above he has 9 tricks even after discarding a diamond from dummy. He had 10 if he'd thrown a heart. If he has your hand (3) we are triple squeezed anyway, it doesn't matter what we throw.

[ajm218]

All I can say is well done Frances....

My comment on which major to pitch was completely gratuitous and designed to avoid people looking at it in a trivial manner and finding the "obvious play"

Frances has the hand down to a card - i should probably ask her to give me the pips next time....

I knew i couldn't pitch a ♥ or a ♠ and i gave some thought to pitching the K♦ but i bottled it

[nige1]

Interesting problem Aim218! And well done (again) Frances!

[foo]

FrancesHinden, on Dec 12 2008, 08:37 AM, said:

Partner started with KQ762 of clubs. He led a systemic 6. He played the Q on the second round, which is the neutral card to play. He played the 7 on the third round, which is his middle remaining card. With three suits oustanding, if his card means anything it shows a heart card. He can't have the ace of diamonds, that is clear.

If opponents are playing Acol, that means declarer is either 3=4=3=3 or has five hearts. Can declarer be 4-4 in hearts and diamonds?

You haven't given the form of scoring, and this is a different problem at matchpoints and at imps. Let's assume it's imps, and we are maining trying to beat the contract.

- If partner has the king of spades, declarer has the AKQ of hearts, the A of clubs and the AQ of diamonds. He either has 5 hearts and can make 4 hearts, 2 spades, 2 diamonds, 1 club, or has 3 diamonds and has 3 hearts, 2 spades, 3 diamonds, 1 club. That means that declarer must have the SK and a spade discard will give declarer a trick immediately.

- If partner has the red suit queens we need to discard a diamond HONOUR on this trick

- if partner has the HK we just discard a heart and get on with it, declarer doesn't have 9 tricks.

But if partner has the HK declarer's diamond pitch doesn't really make sense.

Go on then, you've convinced me. I discard the king of diamonds. That will definitely make me famous if it works.

Declarer has

Kxx
AKQx
Axx
Axx

edit: if declarer has a hand such as your (2) above he has 9 tricks even after discarding a diamond from dummy. He had 10 if he'd thrown a heart. If he has your hand (3) we are triple squeezed anyway, it doesn't matter what we throw.

That's an absolutely beautiful analysis Frances.

[Fluffy]

When Frances makes an analysis there is not much left other than clap

[han]

So who has the 13th club Frances? And if partner has it, then how is the 7 a middle card?

[cherdano]

han, on Dec 19 2008, 10:52 PM, said:

So who has the 13th club Frances? And if partner has it, then how is the 7 a middle card?

I think I can answer the first question. Most declarers wouldn't follow with the 8, 9 with A985, when taking the first trick would give them a double stop.
As for why partner led back the 7 from K752 when his only remaining honor was in the lowest remaining suit, well maybe ajm can clarify that...

[Benoit35]

Without knowing any better, a 6-3 break is (statistically) less likely than 5-4 for the unseen clubs, and the latter is consistent with an ACOL 1♥ reaching a NT contract.

But we do know better. We didn't hear anything like a 3♣ overcall, did we? He has 5 cards.

[Mosene]

Zero chance declarer has A985. He has them double stopped by simply playing low off dummy on the first trick and letting the J hold. A club through and partner wins the Q of clubs. This leaves declarer with A9 and partner with K7.

Ooops - Missed the Cherdano answer - I agree with him.