[PFormaini]

Scoring: MP

1♦ - 1♥
3♣ - 3♥
4♥ - 4[NT]
5♠ - 5[NT]*
7♥

*-Guarantees all 4 Aces

---

The player on your LEFT is a true Expert - cognizant of all technical defensive maneuvers and proficient in falsecarding and executing the proper defensive maneuvers when necessary.

West leads the Q♦ and throws a small spade on the K♥.

How would YOU play the hand to maximize your chances of making the Grand Slam?

[frouu]

probably continue with a ♦ ruff, spade up, ♦ ruff, pull trumps... what is ♦ count? what is lho discarding?

btw bidding 3♣ with north sounds too much....

[Foxx]

After winning ♦A, I'll go on with a diamond ruff, the ♥K, and another diamond ruff. At this point I'll know whether the diamonds are breaking, and if not, who is guarding them. If diamonds are breaking 4-3, I'm home: ♥A-Q-J, dummy throwing two clubs; ♠A; diamond ten ruffed; ♠K; ♣K-A; diamond ---- making seven, AND the beer.

Could East be guarding the diamonds? I don't know if passing at favorable vulnerability over (1♦)-(1♥) with 11 black cards is in West's repertoire of "proper, technical defensive maneuvers", but in that case West is a prohibitive favorite to hold the ♣Q anyway (I can also guard against an East singleton ♣Q).

So give West the long diamonds.

Now I pull trump and run the majors, leaving ♥x ♣K102 in hand and ♦10 ♣AJ5 in dummy. When I lead my last trump West has to keep his diamond, so he makes a forced club discard (from three) and dummy lets go the diamond. Now I cross to the ♣A and lead the ♣J. If East, who is NOT the "true Expert," doesn't bite on it (I'm counting huddles and hitches here), I play for the DROP against West by rising with the ♣K.

[PFormaini]

Diamonds do NOT break for you, sadly. WEST has 5 of them.

Here's a hint - how would you play the hand if you did NOT have the Queen of hearts? In oher words, how would an expert West defend if he thought is partner had a possible trump trick that you could not trap via normal means?

[655321]

PFormaini, on Jul 10 2009, 07:18 PM, said:

Scoring: MP

1♦ - 1♥
3♣ - 3♥
4♥ - 4[NT]
5♠ - 5[NT]*
7♥

*-Guarantees all 4 Aces

---

The player on your LEFT is a true Expert - cognizant of all technical defensive maneuvers and proficient in falsecarding and executing the proper defensive maneuvers when necessary.

West leads the Q♦ and throws a small spade on the K♥.

How would YOU play the hand to maximize your chances of making the Grand Slam?

Cayuga:

I don't PLAY a club towards DUMMY hoping that LHO will insert THE Queen to try and take away AN entry.

Instead, I already ruffed a DIAMOND at trick 2, guaranteeing the contract when diamonds break. There is no PURPOSE in cashing the ♥K at trick 2, it just removes an entry for no REASON.

(I have taken the precaution of quoting the original diagram in this reply, lest the original post is quietly edited...)

[Jlall]

655321, on Jul 10 2009, 10:39 PM, said:

PFormaini, on Jul 10 2009, 07:18 PM, said:

Scoring: MP

1♦ - 1♥
3♣ - 3♥
4♥ - 4[NT]
5♠ - 5[NT]*
7♥

*-Guarantees all 4 Aces

---

The player on your LEFT is a true Expert - cognizant of all technical defensive maneuvers and proficient in falsecarding and executing the proper defensive maneuvers when necessary.

West leads the Q♦ and throws a small spade on the K♥.

How would YOU play the hand to maximize your chances of making the Grand Slam?

Cayuga:

I don't PLAY a club towards DUMMY hoping that LHO will insert THE Queen to try and take away AN entry.

Instead, I already ruffed a DIAMOND at trick 2, guaranteeing the contract when diamonds break. There is no PURPOSE in cashing the ♥K at trick 2, it just removes an entry for no REASON.

(I have taken the precaution of quoting the original diagram in this reply, lest the original post is quietly edited...)

Lol good catch, I had forgotten.

OP: When you make your next account use a less distinct writing style. GL.