[Free]

Scoring: IMP

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Bidding:

1♣ - pass - 1♥ - pass
1♠ - pass - 2♥ - pass
3NT - all pass

Your partner leads ♦T, you cover with the J (do you agree?) and West takes the Ace. He plays ♦2, covered by partner with the 7.

(For once, there's no need for a 'other'-option )

[luke warm]

so far i'm outvoted... declarer seems to be 4144, which means pard is 1435.. i take the 2nd diamond and lead the ♥J... by the way, i'd have played low on the ♦10 because it *was* the 10

[HeartA]

Why did South cover pd's DT? I wouldn't.

[Free]

luke warm, on Feb 4 2005, 12:37 AM, said:

i'd have played low on the ♦10 because it *was* the 10

In this case, you can still play low now, you'll probably be in the same situation, only partner now has to play a card instead of you...

[luke warm]

i'd still have played low, on the theory that pard had 10,9,7 or 10,7,5 (tho i'd not be crazy bout the 10 lead with that)... the only way i play high is if i think partner has 5 or more diamonds, so i don't block 'em

i'm hoping lho has a low heart, or at most the queen... then we can take 2 hearts, 2 diamonds, and maybe a club or two (i don't see the need in leading a club)... if that's true, it's better if i lead hearts from my hand

[fred]

I would overtake, playing for declarer to have misclicked with Ax of diamonds.

If someone else has a better explanation for what is going on, I will most impressed

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[Free]

fred, on Feb 4 2005, 02:56 AM, said:

I would overtake, playing for declarer to have misclicked with Ax of diamonds.

Who said this was played online?

[Free]

Lol, the usual is happening here: Fred posts, and the votes turn around completely. Before we had 4 to 7 in favor of low ♦, at this point we have 8 to 7 for high ♦

Here's the full hand:

Scoring: IMP

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Nothing serious will happen if you play low. You block the ♦ suit and declarer will never make his contract.
However, if you overtake and partner cashes ALL his ♦s, then declarer has a suicide double squeeze (not a real one, since opps can defend better, but still nice to see one)

Note: I don't think it was a misclick. This was played by a star player, and if you think about it, a double squeeze is your only chance after this lead.

[fred]

Maybe I should stop posting to these "poll threads" (or wait to add my comments) if my posts are ruining the polls...

Was a nice effort by declarer (but he might have felt foolish if diamonds were 6-3 and spades 3-3). As I said I would be - I am impressed! However, overtaking still OK as is cashing a 3rd round of diamonds. Once the actual diamond position is revealled it is not too hard for an alert defender to see what might happen if you play your last diamond back. Then again, even the best defenders are not always alert to possibilities like the one that this deal presents.

Nice hand Free!

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[luke warm]

i have to admit, the ♦10 lead fooled me into thinking declarer had a stiff heart and was 4144

[pclayton]

If my pard played the ♦7 at T2, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Clearly my J♦ is an effort to start unblocking the suit. At T1, I unblock because its possible that the diamonds are running after the Ace is knocked out.

From partner's perspective, I could hold KQJx, KQJ, QJ (unlikely; this puts declarer on an unlikely 4045), or QJx. There can be no point to "rising" with the 7; with an original holding of T-9 5th, play small and let pard continue to unblock the suit.

When pard puts on the ♦7, it tells me that pard has T987. With T97, I expect the 9 to show present count. So, LHO has 4135 and is trying to rectify the count for a squeeze (similar to the actual hand by the way).

On the actual hand, pard should play small, I overtake, cash the king, and return one. Pard shouldn't cash the final ♦ if he respects his RHO. There are some ways the defense can lose its way (looks like I have to unblock the ♥J or T later under the K) but it should prevail.