[manudude03]

Scoring: MP

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Contract: 6♠ by south
Lead: ♠6

Note the scoring . The field is sufficiently strong that you can expect everyone to be in slam.

Trumps break 3-1 (East starting with 3)

Adv+ keep answers hidden for now.

[FrancesHinden]

Just to be clear, the challenge is to make an overtrick when the layout is favourable, without going off in six when it isn't.

[helene_t]

Spoiler

I think we can only make an overtrick if both minor finesses are on. But if we take the diamond finesse first, we are doomed if both finesses are off. So we take the club finesse first. If it loses, we have a trump in the dummy plus a heart discard for declarer's last club and last diamond. If it wins, we try the diamond finesse. If that also wins, we can discard dummy's last club on a diamond.

[kenrexford]

Spoiler

Assuming no opening lead, I pull two round of trumps, ending in dummy with the King. Heart ace, ruff heart, diamond Ace, ruff heart, pull last trump. Now, I can hook clubs, having guaranteed the contract. If that works, I play the remaining top heart and decide whether playing for the club King to drop, the 10-9 to be smothered, or a club-diamond squeeze to develop makes the most sense.

[vin1990]

Spoiler

1. Provided you set up clubs theres always 12 tricks (3 spades; 3 ruffing tricks; 2 clubs 2 hearts and 2 diamonds)

2. If you try for an overtrick by finessing diamonds before clubs you risk going off because you still need the club finesse to work for your 12 tricks.

3. If the club finesse works you can safely try for a 13th trick by taking the diamond finesse and discarding the 3rd club from dummy on the king of diamonds (other ways of trying for a 13th trick might have developed during the play)

[wclass___]

kenrexford, on Aug 9 2009, 02:22 PM, said:

Spoiler

Assuming no opening lead, I pull two round of trumps, ending in dummy with the King. Heart ace, ruff heart, diamond Ace, ruff heart, pull last trump. Now, I can hook clubs, having guaranteed the contract. If that works (Q-K-A), I play the remaining top heart and decide whether playing for the club King to drop, the 10-9 to be smothered, or a club-diamond squeeze to develop makes the most sense.

How can you hook clubs (Q-K-A) and then play for the club King to drop?

How can you develop a squeeze with ♦Kx as only entery opposite ♦J?

[nigel_k]

wclass___, on Aug 9 2009, 03:10 PM, said:

How can you develop a squeeze with ♦Kx as only entery opposite ♦J?

Maybe the squeeze needn't involve the diamond suit?

[wclass___]

nigel_k, on Aug 9 2009, 03:17 PM, said:

wclass___, on Aug 9 2009, 03:10 PM, said:

How can you develop a squeeze with ♦Kx as only entery opposite ♦J?

Maybe the squeeze needn't involve the diamond suit?

Spoiler

You doun't have a good entery for ♥ and ♣ squeeze as well.

Anyway,he did specify ''club-diamond''

[se12sam]

An alternative line:

1-2 Win ♠K and play ♠x to declarer's ♠J (discovers 3-1 split)
3 Club finesse wins (if it loses we have 12 tricks)
4-6 Cash ♥A, then ♥K (discard a club) and ruff ♥x in hand
7-9 Cash two top diamonds and ruff the third in dummy
10-11 Play the trump from dummy, overtake in hand and play the last trump from hand

You reach a simple squeeze position over West if he started with 5 ♥ cards and ♣K guarded. This also works when West had ♣Kx doubleton all along, but produces only 12 tricks when hearts are 4-4 or 3-5 and clubs were not 2-4 but ♦ finesse was on

The diamond finesse option does not permit you to check whether West is doubleton (Kx) in clubs and therefore you are stuck with 12 tricks if you try the diamond finesse and it loses.

I am not sure whether the simple squeeze line is better but it does not look materially inferior at the outset.

[kenrexford]

wclass___, on Aug 9 2009, 03:10 PM, said:

kenrexford, on Aug 9 2009, 02:22 PM, said:

Spoiler

Assuming no opening lead, I pull two round of trumps, ending in dummy with the King.  Heart ace, ruff heart, diamond Ace, ruff heart, pull last trump.  Now, I can hook clubs, having guaranteed the contract.  If that works (Q-K-A), I play the remaining top heart and decide whether playing for the club King to drop, the 10-9 to be smothered, or a club-diamond squeeze to develop makes the most sense.

How can you hook clubs (Q-K-A) and then play for the club King to drop?

How can you develop a squeeze with ♦Kx as only entery opposite ♦J?

On the first, I changed my mind mid-write, but I forgot to remove that Q-part.

On the second, a 6-2 split works.

[vuroth]

se12sam, on Aug 10 2009, 04:45 AM, said:

An alternative line:

1-2 Win ♠K and play ♠x to declarer's ♠J (discovers 3-1 split)
3 Club finesse wins (if it loses we have 12 tricks)
4-6 Cash ♥A, then ♥K (discard a club) and ruff ♥x in hand
7-9 Cash two top diamonds and ruff the third in dummy
10-11 Play the trump from dummy, overtake in hand and play the last trump from hand

This line may fail when spades are 3-1 with west, as he may be able to ruff the third ♦ with the ten. Better to win trick 1 in hand I think.

[andrei]

Spoiler

1. win the lead in hand
2. small ♥ to A
3. ruff ♥
4. small ♠ to K
5. ruff ♥
6. draw last trump
7. small ♣ to J
8. A ♣
9. K♥ discard ♣
10. last ♠ discard ♣ if not big

you make 13 tricks if LHO has Kx of ♣, or (Kxxx+ or KT9)♣ and (six or QT98+) ♦

edit: actually we can draw trumps first and ruff ♥ later, so the contract is safe against any distribution, even 8-0 ♥

[Fluffy]

I think Helene got the simplest and best way, however the timing must be very precise to avoid risking the contract.

[wclass___]

kenrexford, on Aug 10 2009, 06:24 AM, said:

On the second, a 6-2 split works.

Ahh.. now i see. I thought that it involves ♦Q.
However, it seems you also need ♣Kxxx or KT9 with west for squeeze to work, else East can guard ♣ with Txx

[kenrexford]

wclass___, on Aug 10 2009, 09:16 AM, said:

kenrexford, on Aug 10 2009, 06:24 AM, said:

On the second, a 6-2 split works.

Ahh.. now i see. I thought that it involves ♦Q.
However, it seems you also need ♣Kxxx or KT9 with west for squeeze to work, else East can guard ♣ with Txx

Well, that's why I was wanting to know who pitches what and when.

If LHO is likely to have a doubleton club, then the one line works better. Actually, if RHO is likely to have a stiff, then the Q play actually makes sense (smother 10 or 9).

[manudude03]

The hand had been rotated for convenience

Scoring: MP

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I took the slightly fancier squeeze line and was forced to lose a club in the end for just 15%. Incidentally, regarding smothering the T/9, does North not have a mandatory falsecard from T9x(x) without the ♦Q when the first club trick goes Q-K-A?

[Phil]

Is 'fancier' a synonym for 'inferior'?

[manudude03]

Phil, on Aug 10 2009, 06:05 PM, said:

Is 'fancier' a synonym for 'inferior'?

well, possibly, I don't have a thesaurus available .

[andrei]

edit: nevermind

[Jlall]

lol @ "squeezes"