[Hanoi5]

Scoring: IMP

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2NT-6NT

or if you prefer

2NT-4NT
6NT

You receive a ♣8 lead. How do you play?

Diamonds:

Spoiler

RHO had J9.

[manudude03]

Take the lead with the ace and duck a heart. Win the return, cash ♦A and K (finesse if its 5-0), ♥AK, one top spade (if not returned) and cash the rest of the diamonds. If hearts are 3-3, I have 3 hearts, 2 spades, 5 diamonds and 2 clubs. If they don't split, whoever has longer hearts has ♠QJ(x) or any 4+ spades, they'll be squeezed on the last diamond for the 12th trick.

[gnasher]

Manudude's line of ducking a heart makes when:
- Hearts are 3-3
- One hand is 4-4 in the majors
- The hand with four hearts has ♠QJx
- Someone has ♠QJ doubleton

I was going to suggest an alternative of leading a spade to the 10 early on, then if it loses playing the major-suit squeeze. If I could guarantee that LHO wouldn't play a spade back, I think this line would be slightly better than ducking a heart. I would make when:
- Spades are 3-3
- One hand is 4-4 in the majors
- ♠QJ are onside
which I think would be better.

However, when LHO wins the spade he can take away half of my squeeze chance by playin a spade back. Looking at 4-4 in the majors, he ought to be able to work that out.

Hence I agree with ducking a heart. Before doing so, however, I would cash ♦A and ♦K - if the diamonds are 1=4, I'd like to know sooner rather than later. That means I should win the first trick with ♣Q, to stop them mangling my entries after winning the heart.

[Hanoi5]

The squeeze idea did not come up to my mind, but just because hearts were 3-3. The problem is that spades can be played in several ways to achieve 4 tricks and giving up a heart means not giving up a spade, for example.

About the heart suit, how about playing a high honour before conceding a trick? if an honour falls under the Ace the king should be played in case two heart honours are doubleton. Ain't that idea worth it?

[gnasher]

Hanoi5, on Jun 3 2009, 06:49 PM, said:

About the heart suit, how about playing a high honour before conceding a trick? if an honour falls under the Ace the king should be played in case two heart honours are doubleton. Ain't that idea worth it?

Good point, but you have to be careful not to lose the squeeze chances if the honour is from H singleton, Hx or QJ10x.

After cashing ♥A at trick two and seeing an honour appear:

- If it was RHO who played the honour, cash two diamonds and then lead a heart from dummy. If he plays a second honour, play ♥K; if he follows low or discards, duck. That preserves the squeeze chance, and also teaches him a sharp lesson if he started with QJ10x.

- If it was LHO who played an honour, it's unlikely to be from Hx, but might well be from QJ10x. I would again cross to dummy and lead one to the seven. That loses to HH doubleton, but caters for singleton honour and for the squeeze. This would be harder without ♥7.