[Trumpace]

You hold

Scoring: Rubber

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You are dealer and open 1H. LHO passes, pard bids 4H, RHO bid 4NT (showing minors), you bid 5H which is passed out.

LHO leads the ♣K and switches to a trump, both following.

Plan the play with the following different dummies.

1)

Scoring: Rubber

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2)

Scoring: Rubber

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3)

Scoring: Rubber

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As usual Adv/+ please don't post spoilers to early. If you think a hand is too difficult for B/I, feel free to say so.

[vuroth]

Quickly before dinner:

1. ruffing finesse in diamonds should provide a place to throw a spade or two.
2, 3 - something like eliminate minors, A♠, low to the 8? If spades are 3-2 I'm fine, if they're 4-1 I can make LHO lead to my spade holding OR give me a spade discard.

[Trumpace]

What if RHO is void in spades or has a singleton low spade? Is there any chance, then?

[vuroth]

if that were the case, LHO with ♠QJxx(x) and ♣KQ, then RHO has pretty much every other high card (no takeout X despite 41xx, 8+ point). With LHO guarding ♠/♣ and RHO guarding ♣/♦, I have the Q♦ and J♣ in 2 - so it almost looks like a squeeze. I really can't fathom it, though, if it's there. (Maybe concede a diamond, throwing a spade on it?)

I also can't figure out how I'd be able to tell before adopting the other line. if I go low to the 8, and LHO wins with the 9 while RHO shows out, it's too late, I think.

[Trumpace]

You can do all the thinking at trick 2

[awm]

1. Vuroth got it. Pull trumps, unblock the diamond ace, and pitch a spade on the diamond queen. Then pitch the other spade on the diamond jack. You lose one diamond (to the king) and one club.

2.

Spoiler

After pulling trump you can unblock the ace of diamonds and a couple top spades, then if spades don't break ruff a diamond, ruff a club, and exit the diamond queen discarding a spade as RHO wins. Now RHO, who had both minors and is now out of major suit cards, is forced to give a ruff and discard on which you can pitch the other losing spade. This line works if spades break or any time RHO has the diamond king.

3.

Spoiler

Here things become a bit stickier. You can ruff out the minor suit cards and pull trump, and then duck a spade in both hands. If RHO started with singleton queen or jack or nine then he wins and must give a ruff and discard, or LHO overtakes and endplays himself. Of course, if the spades break you are also fine. If LHO started with the spade QJ9x(x) then it seems there is nothing you can do.

[Trumpace]

I guess we don't need to talk "hidden" now.

For 2) We can cash one round of spades, if RHO follows with Q,J or 9 then we have a sure shot spade endplay on LHO (no matter who has the DK). If not, we can play RHO for the DK and play as awm did.


For 3) I admit this is a bit far-fetched, but there is an additional chance that RHO will be forced to win the 3rd diamond. Say dummy had ♦432. You play ♦A at trick 3, ruff club and ruff ♦ watching the spots played by both opps. If you feel that RHO might be forced to win the 3rd ♦, cash ♠A and throw RHO in with the 3rd diamond if RHO does not follow to first spade with Q,J or 9.

If not, play as awm, eliminate minors and duck first round of spade, hoping that LHO will go wrong with the QJ9x of spades (it is probably percentage for LHO to play the 9 there, but the coolness factor to pin pard's singleton T and beat the contract is always there ).

I hope the analysis is right and sorry about hand #3, probably does not belong to this forum, but it seemed right to put it here.

[vuroth]

Bah, 3 was fun to think about.

I feel like 2 should have been easy.

thanks for the problems!

V