[Chamaco]

Scoring: IMP

---

West North East South

 -     Pass  Pass  1♣!
 Pass  1♦!   Pass  2♦!
 2♥    Dbl!  Pass  3♣
 3♥    3♠    Pass  4♠
 Pass  5♣    Pass  Pass
 Pass  

----------------------
1C = Strong Club, 16+ any shape
1D = 0-7 hcp
2D = natural 5+ diamond, minimum reverse (16-18)
West's pass then bid show a strong hand (either hcp or distribution), which might envision game even vs a strong club.
Nort's dbl is negative (a max for his 0-7 range, spades and clubs)
----------------------

Hi' I would like to know the best line of play.

I'll write below in hidden characters the line I chose, I would GREATLY appreciat any suggestions !

Opening lead: A followed by K of ♥



---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spoiler

I led the Club Q, taken by Wests's Ace and ruffed the ♥Q return.

Now I need all tricks.
Diamond queen may be in East's hand (west has shown 13 hcp), in which case the finesse after drawing trumps is right.

However, I did not want to put all eggs in one basket and I decided to play for dropping the diamond K, which makes also if spades break 3-3 or if there is a squeeze (4S and DK in one hand, I expected East).

The alternative line would be to draw trumps, test spades, if they do not break, run all the trumps and fall back on the diamond finesse; the run of trumps may also squeeze the holder of DK and 4th spade.

I opted for trying to drop DK, so :
- A of D and D ruff,
- spades to the Ace and D ruff: West discarded a Heart
- Now, with no hopes of promoting a long diamond (by any other means but a squeeze), I fell back on plan B (try spades 3-3 or squeze): I played K and T of trumps (west discarding 2 Hearts) and tried spades, but no luck: West had the 4th spades.

[the hog]

Nice contract to get to, Mauro and very peculiar bidding by West. By not overcalling an immediate 2/3H W allowed you to get to an excellent spot. I am going to play a fairly simple line and try to drop the DK or rely on a 3-3 S break or a squeeze. So, C up, ruff a H, A of D ruff a D, S ruff a D etc.

[Chamaco]

The_Hog, on Feb 23 2005, 10:19 AM, said:

Nice contract to get to, Mauro and very peculiar bidding by West. By not overcalling an immediate 2/3H W allowed you to get to an excellent spot. I am going to play a fairly simple line and try to drop the DK or rely on a 3-3 S break or a squeeze. So, C up, ruff a H, A of D ruff a D, S ruff a D etc.

Ty a lot Ron

How do you decide whether to ruff in dummy a couple of diamonds to see whether Kx or Kxx falls or simply run the trumps BEFORE ruffing diamonds ?

[the hog]

Interesting question. Obviously trumps can't be 4-0 because I can't cope with that. Play DA and ruff 1 and then a trump - easier for me if they take first club. Many possibilities here.

[Chamaco]

Let me try to explain further my reasoning.

line a = ruffing diams first
line b = testing spades, running clubs and fall back on the finesse

case 1= RHO has 4+ spades
- line a wins on most layouts where DK is offside (it will drop Kx or Kxx) and wins ALSO with DK onside (squeeze)
- line b wins if DK is onside and loses with DK offside

case 2= RHO has 3 spades
irrelevant = all lines win

case 3= LHO has 4+ spades
- line a wins on most layouts where DK is offside and loses if DK onside
- line b wins DK is onside and loses if DK offside

So it seems to me it boils down to deciding which is more likely:
RHO having 4+ spades (independently of DK) OR RHO having the DK (indepenently of 4+ spades).

Do you think this is one case of "table feel" (which I do not have) ?

[inquiry]

I would try to get a count on the hand. So I will not commit to one line or the other yet.

So club play looks right at trick two, but I will lead the club NINE, playing the TEN if WEST plays low. If the TeN wins, I ruff a heart holds, I will cross to the spade KING, ruff a heart and continue a club. If WEST jumps up with the club ACE on the jack and leads a heart, I will ruff (did EAST show out on hearts?), and make the odd looking play of three rounds of spades, playing WEST for singleton club ace. If spades are 3-3 I am home and if EAST has four spades and three clubs, I can ruff the fourth spade, cash diamond ace, ruff a diamond, pull trumps and claim (yes now west can beat me with 2-6-3-2 by winning the ace on first round).

But let's assume they the club ten wins. Now I ruff a heart and exit a club... .who had three clubs or are they two-two. If clubs are 2-2, and if WEST had 6 only hearts. I will cash three rounds of spades, and if not 3-3, hook east in diamond. If WEST had three clubs, I have potnetial show up squeeze to drop singleton diamond king in his hand if he was 2-7-1-3 with stiff king so heart count is important. In the unlikely event EAST had three clubs, I will take a ruffing finesee in diamonds through WEST.

So there you have it.. WEST pops club ace, try 3 rounds of spades immediately.
West three clubs, try for 3-3 spades, if not, hook EAST (unless WEST has 7 hearts and 2 spades, then show up squeeze)
If EAST had three clubs and ducked or won first round, finessee WEST for diamond queen.

Ben

[GijsH]

After this bidding East is marked with 5 or 6 ♦, so I try a full cross-ruff:
ruffing all ♦ in dummy, and going back with top ♠ and ♥ ruffs.
I think I can make if West is exactly:
Jxxx
AKQxx
xx
Ax
and decides to ruff with the ace in front of dummy and play a trump.

[Chamaco]

GijsH, on Feb 23 2005, 05:03 PM, said:

After this bidding East is marked with 5 or 6 ♦, so I try a full cross-ruff:
ruffing all ♦ in dummy, and going back with top ♠ and ♥ ruffs.
I think I can make if West is exactly:
Jxxx
AKQxx
xx
Ax
and decides to ruff with the ace in front of dummy and play a trump.

Thanks a lot for your contribution!

A few more questions I am not able to answer about the line you suggest:

Question 1: There are 6 outstanding spades and 7 outstanding diamonds.
If East has 4+ spades, most line based on a squeeze shall work.
According to which reasoning should I assume is East marked with 5+ diamonds and not 4+ spades ? (remember, if east has 4 spades, most squeezes will work)

Questiion 2: it seems to me that the x-ruff requires a 3-3 spades break, in which case any other line will work, and that if I embark in a direct cross ruff, one spade winner will be ruffed ?

[GijsH]

OK, here we go:

1: H ace
2: H king ruffed
3: D ace
4: small D, ruffed
5: S to ace
6: D, let's say W ruffs with A, discard S in dummy
7: W returns C (best), taken in hand
8: D ruffed
9: S to the Q
10: last D ruffed wit C 10
11: pull last trump with C king
12: cash S king
13: ruff H in hand with C queen

this is called a dummy-reversal .

if West throws a S instead of ruffing, the 4th S becomes a trick.
if D turn out to be 3-4 it becomes easier as 5th D becomes a trick.

[Chamaco]

GijsH, on Feb 23 2005, 05:36 PM, said:

OK, here we go:

1: H ace
2: H king ruffed
3: D ace
4: small D, ruffed
5: S to ace
6: D, let's say W ruffs with A, discard S in dummy

Say that, instead,
case a. west discards a spade.
case b. west discards a heart