[rogerclee]

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West deals, R/R IMPs

1D P 1H 1S
2H P 3C P
3D P 3H P
4H AP

You lead the ♠A, partner following with the 9 and declarer with the 3. No carding agreements discussed except UDCA in general. Your play to trick two.

[Fluffy]

we need partner with ♦QJxx and then we need to draw trumps and remove an entry to dummy, only way to do both is with ♥K

[gnasher]

Fluffy, on 2011-March-03, 03:31, said:

we need partner with ♦QJxx and then we need to draw trumps and remove an entry to dummy, only way to do both is with ♥K

You're playing declarer for something like QJxx QJxx x AJxx, giving partner xxx xx QJxx Q10xx?

[gnasher]

With Fluffy's defence against the layout I suggested, declarer can still make it if he plays it very well.

Declarer ducks ♥K. If we play another heart, he wins in hand, ruffs a diamond high, crosses to ♥A, and concedes a diamond.

To prevent that, we have to switch back to spades at trick 3. Now declarer ruffs, plays ♣A, ♣ ruff, ♦A, ♦ ruff high, ♣ ruff, ♦K throwing the last club.

[Fluffy]

more like Qxxx QJxx x AQxx

[sathyab]

gnasher, on 2011-March-03, 08:33, said:

With Fluffy's defence against the layout I suggested, declarer can still make it if he plays it very well.

Declarer ducks ♥K. If we play another heart, he wins in hand, ruffs a diamond high, crosses to ♥A, and concedes a diamond.

To prevent that, we have to switch back to spades at trick 3. Now declarer ruffs, plays ♣A, ♣ ruff, ♦A, ♦ ruff high, ♣ ruff, ♦K throwing the last club.

In your second line, dummy has no more trumps, declarer having ducked one, ruffed one ♠ and two ♣s . Declarer now has Qx Jx - x in the five card ending before throwing a ♣ on the ♦King and you have Tx T8 - K left ? Isn't he always going down now ? You can either ruff and force him and he has a ♠ loser in the end assuming partner has the Jack or just throw the ♣ King and he has a trump and a ♠ loser.

[gnasher]

sathyab, on 2011-March-03, 12:29, said:

In your second line, dummy has no more trumps, declarer having ducked one, ruffed one ♠ and two ♣s . Declarer now has Qx Jx - x in the five card ending before throwing a ♣ on the ♦King and you have Tx T8 - K left ? Isn't he always going down now ? You can either ruff and force him and he has a ♠ loser in the end assuming partner has the Jack or just throw the ♣ King and he has a trump and a ♠ loser.

In my construction declarer's last five cards are QJ Jx - x. With Fluffy's layout you'd be right. I expect that's why Fluffy changed the black-suit honours.

[dellache]

gnasher, on 2011-March-03, 12:53, said:

In my construction declarer's last five cards are QJ Jx - x. With Fluffy's layout you'd be right. I expect that's why Fluffy changed the black-suit honours.

Or maybe instead of playing well, declarer will plays *extremely* well ?

We play [2]K♥ ducked *and* unblock ♥Q [3]K♠ and declarer ruffs in dummy. Now declarer may [4]cash ♦Ace, and [5]small ♦ discarding a ♣ (game over with 3-2 diamonds). Now that he knows Diamonds are 4-1, it seems that RHO as a counterplay : finesse our ♥T, ruff a ♦ High, and claim.

Still ♥King looks like a nice shot !

[Fluffy]

Even if 4♠ can be still be made double dummy, no card looks better than ♥K switch

[gnasher]

Yes, I agree that ♥K looks best, though I wouldn't have thought of it myself.

[dellache]

indeed.

[rogerclee]

Interesting discussion, thanks guys.

At the table RHO had QJ7x Qxxx void AQT9x, so only a small spade (not the ten) continuation beats the contract. Every other card gives declarer something.