[twcho]

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You bid to 7NT without opp's intervention. Opening lead Cx, what is the best line of play?

[whereagles]

Best is prolly a double squeeze, with hearts as double menace.

[cnszsun]

♣ will not be 5-0, otherwise the opening lead Cx is important, so only one trick short. i will play like this:
All ♣s, top ♦s and top ♥s, we lose only under two cases:
1) West guard ♦ and ♠K, East guard ♥, no any other line can win this, i think.
2)West hold ♠K, East guard both ♦ and ♥, you can win this by cash ♠A before play ♥, but it will lose other placement.

[twcho]

Michael, if west guards H, you may not be able to determine whether to finesse the SQ or drop the SK offside by playing SA at the penultimate trick. Also, you lose the chance the hand guarding H also guarding either S or D.

[cnszsun]

twcho, on Oct 6 2004, 01:10 AM, said:

Michael, if west guards H, you may not be able to determine whether to finesse the SQ or drop the SK offside by playing SA at the penultimate trick. Also, you lose the chance the hand guarding H also guarding either S or D.

Yes, if ♥ is 3-4, you don't know who has last ♥, so still need to guess, at this moment, i will suppose East has last heart, play for double squeeze.
Because North has only one entry in ♥, i can't find better solution.

[luke warm]

♣A, 3 rounds of diamonds throwing a spade from dummy, club to the Q, club back, throw 2 hearts on clubs, lead heart to board and throw a spade on the ♥K, leaving

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i'm looking for the last diamond or a heart from east... i imagine someone will blank the ♠K... if west comes down to ♠K and ♥Jx, this will be tough... so the play of the cards should help you get a count

[Fluffy]

Cash ♠A, 5♣, trying a ♦-♥ squeeze, next you have to decide wich red suit to cash, trying either a perfect ♠-♥ squeeze or a ♦-♠ squeeze against east.

[Flame]

Fluffy, on Oct 6 2004, 05:45 AM, said:

Cash ♠A, 5♣, trying a ♦-♥ squeeze, next you have to decide wich red suit to cash, trying either a perfect ♠-♥ squeeze or a ♦-♠ squeeze against east.

I think this is worse then spade finnese.

[Free]

whereagles, on Oct 6 2004, 06:42 AM, said:

Best is prolly a double squeeze, with hearts as double menace.

How can hearts be a double menace if only 1 player can guard them, with Jxxx(+)???

[whereagles]

Menace against whoever has 4 hearts.

[pclayton]

As usual, I'll give this problem my typical 4 minutes of study. I'll listen to the sages later on whats best.

To me; whoever guards the 4th diamond is paramount in judging the play. So, lets have a little fun at the expense of our opponents:

1. Win A♣
2. "Finesse the Q♦"
3. Q♣
4. A♦

Hopefully I have received a count signal out of West. If East has the ♦ length; my diamond sits over Easts and I'll play for the double squeeze with spades as the pivot suit and the length assumably held by west.

If I think West holds the diamond length, a straightforward double won't work; unless hearts is the pivot suit (yes Frederick; its an either-or squeeze).

Cash clubs. If I think East has both red suit guards; I need to cash the A♠ early to turn the screw.

More than likely though; I'll play as Jimmy did, and go to the board and try the hearts. I'll also make it on a show-up guard squeeze / triple if LHO has both red suits with or without the spade K.