[kenrexford]

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After North opens 2♣, 2♦ GF waiting response by South, you end up in 6♦ with the lead of a trump from West on opening lead. Diamonds split 2-0. I found this to be a fun declarer hand. How do you play this from here?

I have hidden (I think) two clues that I had, which added to why the line I took seemed correct, but I think there are enough clues to guide you already, perhaps. Nonetheless...

Clue #1: East was really upset about the 2♣ opening and seemed to really want to bid.

Clue #2: East's play to trick one was to pitch a very small heart.

[nige1]

kenrexford, on 2010-November-11, 21:18, said:

After North opens 2♣, 2♦ GF waiting response by South, you end up in 6♦
with the lead of a trump from West on opening lead.
Diamonds split 2-0.
I found this to be a fun declarer hand.
How do you play this from here?

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I don't see it, Ken My pedestrian line is ♦AQ, ♣ to ♣Q, win ♣ return with ♣K, ruff a ♣, Cash ♠AK. run trumps, probably taking ♥ finesse.

[mikeh]

kenrexford, on 2010-November-11, 21:18, said:

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After North opens 2♣, 2♦ GF waiting response by South, you end up in 6♦ with the lead of a trump from West on opening lead. Diamonds split 2-0. I found this to be a fun declarer hand. How do you play this from here?

I have hidden (I think) two clues that I had, which added to why the line I took seemed correct, but I think there are enough clues to guide you already, perhaps. Nonetheless...

Clue #1: East was really upset about the 2♣ opening and seemed to really want to bid.

Clue #2: East's play to trick one was to pitch a very small heart.

The play seems to be straightforward.

Win the diamond in dummy, pull a 2nd trump and lead a Club to my hand and exit a club. We plan to ruff a club in dummy and to take a heart finesse, but there is no rush. We will eventually unblock the top spades (not merely for the squeeze setup but also because of the non-trivial chance of dropping the Q) and we may have a squeeze...in the 2 card endgame we have stiff spade J and small heart opposite AQ of hearts. Routine vienna coup if we believe that either opp has both major cards.

This line makes anytime the heart K is with the spade Q, no matter which opp has them...if LHO, the heart K pops as we lead to the AQ, and if RHO, it drops under the A. So it is approximately 50%, or very very close to the straightforward heart hook. If we feel we have any meaningful clue that rho has the heart K, then the squeeze is clearly the best line. Just be happy you aren't playing against world-class opps who give nothing away...then I think the heart hook (after testing spades) is the better play.
Plus the squeeze feels better when it works than does the finesse.

Of course, if LHO wins the club and returns a heart, we have to finesse, since this breaks up the squeeze.

[kenrexford]

Mike's line is actually quite nice. Didn't see that one.

The line I was initially gearing toward was similar, but probably not as good. I never got past trick three, however, when RHO popped the club on small toward my King. I was heading toward a Morton's Fork, strip squeeze throw-in line of small club to King (expecting to win), heart to Ace, heart ruiff, spade to ace, heart ruff, run diamonds. Taking advantage of the Qx possibility seems strong. But, I suppose I was tainted by the table feel into my line, which contextually was clearly working, as well.

[pooltuna]

nige1, on 2010-November-11, 21:54, said:

I don't see it, Ken My pedestrian line is ♦AQ, ♣ to ♣Q, win ♣ return with ♣K, ruff a ♣, Cash ♠AK. run trumps, probably taking ♥ finesse.

Is this like a Vienna trump squeeze where after giving up a ♣ Dummy comes down to ♠AK ♥AQ8 and your hand is ♠Jxx ♥x and ♦ x where East has to pick a discard from ♠Qxx ♥Kxx ?

[nige1]

nige1, on 2010-November-11, 21:54, said:

My pedestrian line is ♦AQ, ♣ to ♣Q, win ♣ return with ♣K, ruff a ♣, Cash ♠AK. run trumps, probably taking ♥ finesse.

pooltuna, on 2010-November-14, 12:03, said:

Is this like a Vienna trump squeeze where after giving up a ♣ Dummy comes down to ♠AK ♥AQ8 and your hand is ♠Jxx ♥x and ♦ x where East has to pick a discard from ♠Qxx ♥Kxx ?

The line I suggested is a Vienna Coup and is better than the trump squeeze with these cards. Cash ♠AK first. Then the last trump squeezes either opponent (a show-up squeeze on LHO) But, in the two card end-position, the ♥ finesse seems slightly better odds). To bring pooltuna's cunning trump squeeze into the picture, you should weaken the NS side-suits. Here are some trump squeezes....

Trump squeeze. South to make the rest with ♠ trump: You lead a trump, chucking ♣2 and squeezing RHO

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Double trump squeeze. ♠ trump. South to take the rest. Declarer leads a trump discarding ♣2 from dummy. Squeezing both opponents.

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George Coffin's hexagon repeating trump squeeze. ♠ trump. South to make the rest.

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[Fluffy]

nigel's line is the same as mikeh's just that rexford doesn't read every post.