[mikeh]

Scoring: IMP

LHO opens 2♠ and after N doubles, and S bids 3♥, you end in 4♥. LHO leads the ♣ jack. Plan the play

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[quiddity]

LHO opened 2S vulnerable in first position, and I expect he probably has a singleton with fewer than 4 hearts. He'd probably lead a singleton diamond if he had one, so I'm going to play him for 6331 or 6241. Win the CK and cash the diamond AK, then lead a third diamond from the table.

If RHO follows, ruff low and cash the top two trumps. Then play on clubs. If LHO ruffs in, he'll be endplayed into leading to the SK.

If RHO discards a spade or club, ruff low and cash the top two trumps. Then play a diamond to promote another trump trick.

If RHO ruffs high, discard a spade. RHO can now return a spade honor (in which case we cover with the K), or a low spade (in which case we play the 9), or give his partner a club ruff - but in any case they get only 2 more tricks.

[gnasher]

quiddity, on Jul 14 2009, 01:03 AM, said:

If RHO follows, ruff low and cash the top two trumps. Then play on clubs. If LHO ruffs in, he'll be endplayed into leading to the SK.

When I first read that, I thought it was only nine tricks if LHO held up his ruff until the third round: three clubs, two diamonds, a diamond ruff, two hearts, and one spade. However, there's a tenth available by ruffing the long club in dummy, then leading a diamond to score ♥J en passant.

Quote

If RHO discards a spade or club, ruff low and cash the top two trumps.  Then play a diamond to promote another trump trick.

RHO throws a club on the third round of diamonds, and another on the fourth. Doesn't that hold you to nine tricks?

Again, the answer is to cash ♥AK, then the top clubs, ruff the last club as an entry, and only now play a diamond.

This post has been edited by gnasher: 2009-July-14, 02:00

[quiddity]

gnasher, on Jul 14 2009, 02:58 AM, said:

RHO throws a club on the third round of diamonds, and another on the fourth. Doesn't that hold you to nine tricks?

Again, the answer is to cash ♥AK, then the top clubs, ruff the last club as an entry, and only now play a diamond.

Yes, good catch. Another option is to cash the top trumps and exit with the fourth diamond, discarding a spade or club if RHO discards a second club. LHO is endplayed into setting up the SK.

[Cascade]

Not that I have any idea what is best here but I don't see why LHO cannot have any of ♣ J, ♣ J10, ♣ J10x, ♣ J10xx, or even ♣ Jx. Although with this last combination frequently diamonds is a more attractive passive lead.

[quiddity]

Cascade, on Jul 14 2009, 03:35 PM, said:

Not that I have any idea what is best here but I don't see why LHO cannot have any of ♣ J, ♣ J10, ♣ J10x, ♣ J10xx, or even ♣ Jx. Although with this last combination frequently diamonds is a more attractive passive lead.

Yes, he can have any of these. If there's a line which caters to all of them, that would be best. I couldn't find it.

I think he's more likely to have singleton J, just because he's likely to have a singleton for his bid and he's likely to lead the singleton if he has it. Certainly if I were on lead with a singleton D and JTx[x..] of clubs, I'd lead the diamond.