[inquiry]

Scoring: IMP

West North East South

    -     -        -     1NT
 Pass  4NT   Pass  5♥
 Pass  5NT   Pass  6♥
 Pass  7NT   Pass  Pass
 Pass  

---

Opening Lead HEART - JACK (in theory denies the QUEEN), and east will play the heart 4, normal signals if that helps.

Plan how you will try to get 13 tricks.

Ben

[whereagles]

What an appaling contract Two finesses and a break.

[inquiry]

whereagles, on Sep 27 2004, 04:46 AM, said:

What an appaling contract Two finesses and a break.

Three pairs bid it, two pairs went down... that meets my requirements.... and, those among us who have never been a bad contract, maybe can throw stones... the declarer can have the last laugh on this one.

[whereagles]

Hey, I meant as a funny comment, not a reproach

Anyway, you need two club finesses, so take them. If West has KT/KTx it's a make, so assume he has KTxx. Then you cash spades and, if no 3-3 break, play for a double squeeze with hearts as double menace (thus take 1st trick in dummy).

[inquiry]

OK.. whereagles has this more or less correct. First thing you do, before you play to the first trick is count your tricks and decide on you line. You do have a decision at trick one.. do you win in dummy or in your hand. As for tricks, 4♦, 2♥, 3♠, and 1♣ more or less assured. That is 10 tricks. If spades are 3-3 or, if the spade jack falls, that is only 11 tricks. So you will still need 2 more club tricks or a club trick a hard to believe third heart trick. The odds favor small to the 9 then later, small to the jack. If WEST has four clubs to the king... and if spades don't split, then you have the chance for a squeeze. The squeeze is a little much for beginners, but you should note there can be no could SPADE-CLUB on WESt, as there is no threat "above" WEST (in the upper hand)....So if WEST has four clubs to the King, you have to play East for doubleotn heart Queen, so dummies third heart is a threat against West. You might think you can play West quards clubs, east quards spades, so no one guards hearts. But the problem with this is if you don't put the heart threat (and entry in dummy) there will be no upper threat on WEST, and if you put the heart threat in dummy, there is no upper threat against EAST... so win the heart in the dummy.

So the answer is..

1) win the first heart in your hand
2) take club hook immediately (low to nine, just in case west has singleton K).
3) diamond AK
4) low to the jack,
5) cash the club ACE...

Ben