[bridgeboy]

Scoring: IMP

---

Bidding went:
RHO You LHO P
1S P P X
P 2H P 3C
P 3NT AP

You might not like the bidding but here you are in 3nt on the last board of a close match.

West leads 2 of S (normally promises an honor). Plan the play

[luke warm]

think i'd try leading ♥Q after winning ♠K... lho can't profitably return a spade (i don't think).. at the right time i duck a club so i am sure of having an entry... my only real worry is a diamond return should my Q♥ lose to the K on my left

[Fluffy]

you may need an entry to dummy later, I prefer to lead ♥9.

At start I thoug about leading ♣J, but it doesn´t work, opponents will play another ♣ and you are gonna be self-squeezed.

[helium]

No i think ♣ jack in 2 trick would work, 5♣-2♠-1♦1♥=9

[Free]

I play small ♦ to the 10, and later on I'll try to finesse in ♣

[inquiry]

♣JACK.. they must let his hold, or you have enough tricks, and clubs must split 4-1, Don't lead a club again (unless all else fails. Now you have 2S + 3C + slow diamond, and 6 sure tricks. I will now play heart to the ACE and heart back to the queen.

[Free]

Ben, I think you overlooked something. If you lead ♣J, they take and play a ♣ back, you might be screwed if ♥K is behind the Q... And you'll have to cash your ♣ immediatly squeezing yourself in 3 suits.

[luke warm]

fluffy's line of leading the ♥9 might be superior to my Q... i was playing rho for one of the honors anyway, and the 9 has as much chance of drawing the K on my left as the Q does... the difference is when the K is on my right... then, when he covers, i have an overtrick... this also seems to cater to a stiff J or K in either place

[Fluffy]

I still think the same, ♣J will lead to self squeeze.... or even to just lose 5 quick tricks: 1♠, 1♥, 2♦, 1♣

Its very possible you will need ♣Q onside to win this one.

♥9 is not a great improve, but it should be hard for LHO to switch to ♦ with any of his holdings.

[paulhar]

I don't like the CJ because RHO wins, leads a spade thru, LHO wins and plays a heart, setting up trick 5 for the defense.

LHO will seldom have the heart K&J and a spade honor for his pass, so I'm beginning to like the H9 lead too.

[laughter]

I think Paul is right in his analysis of the danger of C duck.
A spade through is much more dangerous than a club return, as you have only 8 tricks in form of 2 spades, 1 heart and 5 clubs, while they are already establishing their fifth.
The self squeeze defence is not going to work as declarer can painlessly pitch diamonds (and 2 idle hearts) from hand while the opponents cannot safely attack the diamonds without establishing the ninth trick there.
I think heart play at trick 2 is clear.
Btw, can someone explain why a play of H9 is better than HQ?
I think it is quite likely for RHO to hold the HK and the lead of HQ can't lose.

[helium]

still dont see any reason jack of ♣ wont work in trick 2, opps cant take 5 imitate tricks, they only have 4, and the have to give me the 9th if they like it or not when i ceep playing ♦ every time so thats still my play.


kenneth

[Fluffy]

helium, on Sep 7 2004, 12:02 PM, said:

still dont see any reason jack of ♣ wont work in trick 2, opps cant take 5 imitate tricks, they only have 4, and the have to give me the 9th if they like it or not when i ceep playing ♦ every time so thats still my play.


kenneth

We have explained 2 reason, and both of them has been explained twice at least I think

First one: auto-squeeze

a ♣ back after ♣J loses to ♣Q forces you to win all the ♣ prematurelly forcing your hand to 4 unsuccesfull discards.

Second one: 5 trick quick losss:

♣J loses to ♣Q offside, next comes a ♠ to the ♠Q and a ♥to the ♥J, for a total of 5 losers.

[luke warm]

laughter, on Sep 7 2004, 12:32 PM, said:

I think Paul is right in his analysis of the danger of C duck.
A spade through is much more dangerous than a club return, as you have only 8 tricks in form of 2 spades, 1 heart and 5 clubs, while they are already establishing their fifth.
The self squeeze defence is not going to work as declarer can painlessly pitch diamonds (and 2 idle hearts) from hand while the opponents cannot safely attack the diamonds without establishing the ninth trick there.
I think heart play at trick 2 is clear.
Btw, can someone explain why a play of H9 is better than HQ?
I think it is quite likely for RHO to hold the HK and the lead of HQ can't lose.

that was my thought when i said i'd play the ♥Q... the only real drawback to it is the same drawback to *not* ducking a club.. entry problems.. fluffy is thinking that the Q can be an entry to dummy, and he may be right...

[bridgeboy]

Time for the full hand and what happened in the match...

---

At table 1: Declarer won the K of S and tried the J of clubs, East pounced and returned the 8 of S covered by the 10, J. West went into a trance (after all a H return is into declarer's main suit) and return a S! East was then caught in a strip squeeze at the ending, 10 tricks made.

At table 2: Declarer too won the K of S and promptly cashed the AK of clubs! 10 tricks! Push board!

As can be concluded on the thread, I think the right play on this hand will be to go after the H at trick 2 ( 9 or Q is the same here) with a timely finesse in clubs later.

It was suggested that J of clubs and when East returns a S go up with the ace and run the clubs would work. I leave the analysis to you but a delightful ending will see the defence come up on top. (Try it it's nice)

[inquiry]

bridgeboy, on Sep 8 2004, 04:22 AM, said:

I leave the analysis to you but a delightful ending will see the defence come up on top. (Try it it's nice)

The timely finesse in clubs may not be so stellar if EAST ducks duck club jack smoothly, particularily if he had KJ8x instead of KJxx of hearts.