[Hanoi5]

You get to 4♠ with:

♠KJxx
♥AKxx
♦K97x
♣x

♠T9xx
♥JT
♦AQx
♣Jxxx

They lead the ♣A and shift to diamonds. You played the 7 from dummy, Ten from East and Ace from you...

[bluecalm]

Bidding ?

[Hanoi5]

1♦-1♠-3♠-4♠. They passed throughout the whole thing.

[rhm]

You are unlikely to get more than 4 or 5 tricks from trumps so you will need at least 5 tricks from the red suits.
Run the ♥ ten.
If the ♥ finesse fails, you can afford only one trump loser and will probably need the queen doubleton of trumps in front to have a chance and no ♦ ruff. So you will next plan to play trumps from hand.
Essentially you try for 4 trump tricks and 6 tricks in the red suits

If the ten of ♥ holds or gets covered, you can afford two trump losers and your plan should be for a controlled cross-ruff.
Ruff 2 ♣ by coming back to hand in the red suits.
Now cash the remaining ♥ and discard your last ♦ from hand.
You will then have to judge from the play whether West is more likely to hold the 4th ♥ (more or less certain if the queen of ♥ is still outstanding) or whether to play West for a third ♦.
So play a red card where West will have to follow and ruff low or over-ruff East if possible, to ruff your last ♣.
This likely will restrict opponents to 2 trump tricks.
If East ruffs high and plays 2 rounds of trumps hope that the king of ♦ will stand up to discard your last ♣.

Rainer Herrmann

[pooltuna]

bluecalm, on May 17 2010, 07:50 PM, said:

Bidding ?

If I had to guess assuming uncontested 1♦-1♠; 3♠-4♠

[gszeszycki]

You get to 4♠ with:

♠KJxx
♥AKxx
♦K97x
♣x

♠T9xx
♥JT
♦AQx
♣Jxxx

They lead the ♣A and shift to diamonds. You played the 7 from dummy, Ten from East and Ace from you...

If I was looking at Qxx or AQx or AQxx spades (even with singleton dia)I might be trying a LOT harder to shorten the KJxx in dummy to assure myself of a trump trick or two). Looking at Axx however I can envision 3 trump tricks if P has Q or Qx in spades when declarer finesses for the Q and partner gives me a dia ruff.

Taking this into consideration and assuming short dia with LHO it is impossible to avoid 2 spade losers and we have to try our best to avoid three trump losers so we can make on heart finesse. My best guess is to play spade to the K and return a spade and tip my hat to LHO that made dia switch with xx(x) all the while holding Qx in spades to convince me to play spades the wrong way:)

[Hanoi5]

gszeszycki, on May 18 2010, 02:46 PM, said:

You get to 4♠ with:

♠KJxx
♥AKxx
♦K97x
♣x

♠T9xx
♥JT
♦AQx
♣Jxxx

They lead the ♣A and shift to diamonds. You played the 7 from dummy, Ten from East and Ace from you...

If I was looking at Qxx  or AQx or AQxx spades (even with singleton dia)I might be trying a LOT harder to shorten the KJxx in dummy to assure myself of a trump trick or two). Looking at Axx however I can envision 3 trump tricks if P has Q or Qx in spades when declarer finesses for the Q and partner gives me a dia ruff.

Taking this into consideration and assuming short dia with LHO it is impossible to avoid 2 spade losers and we have to try our best to avoid three trump losers so we can make on heart finesse. My best guess is to play spade to the K and return a spade and tip my hat to LHO that made dia switch with xx(x) all the while holding Qx in spades to convince me to play spades the wrong way:)

Who are you?

Spades were Ax-Qxx and diamonds Jxxxx-10, so you're partially right and partially wrong. But I find your insight on why wouldn't West continue clubs to try to shorten dummy interesting. I think the hand can be made if you play spade to the K and another spade.