[Winstonm]

Roland:

I apologize for not adding "hidden" text as you suggested - I don't know how to do that or read the hidden text either. But I'm trainable (maybe, LoL)

WinstonM

[Walddk]

FrancesHinden, on Jun 2 2005, 11:58 AM, said:

Partner's club should have been suit preference, but we've just been told it's reverse count. What's the point of count when there's another entry on the table? .

You are right, but maybe partner finally saw the light and actually did intend it as a suit preference signal. But since we have seen him in action before, I think it would be unwise to bet your life on it

No, he was not in the tank before he played the 9.

Roland

[luke warm]

ok, justin and roland... you've given me food for thought re: which heart to lead... i was going by kantar's cd 'advanced defense', but i can see your point

[Walddk]

Winstonm, on Jun 2 2005, 12:18 PM, said:

Roland:

I apologize for not adding "hidden" text as you suggested - I don't know how to do that or read the hidden text either. But I'm trainable (maybe, LoL)

WinstonM

No apology needed. If you want to post a hidden text, click on "Add reply", and you will see the HIDDEN button top right. Click on it, and after you finish your post, click on HIDDEN again.

Just like you do if you want bold text.

To see hidden text: click on Quote, and the hidden text will appear on your screen when you scroll down.

Roland

[Elianna]

Walddk, on Jun 2 2005, 10:58 AM, said:

To see hidden text: click on Quote, and the hidden text will appear on your screen when you scroll down.

You can also see hidden text by highlighting it (clicking mouse button and dragging it down). You can also highlight all with ctrl-A on most browsers (apple-A on macs, I believe) to see more than one person's hidden text at a time.

[Fluffy]

Winstonm, on Jun 2 2005, 04:07 PM, said:

Delarer holds the following known cards: K(J) of spades, and the A of clubs.

This looks similar than my first analysis , but its wrong:

Declarer might have ♠953, leaving pratner with ♠KJ86, the problem is, appart from making your 4 obvious tricks there is no way you can find a 5th.

And of course, partner may have ♣A. But again chances of defeating would be 0%

Now it seems obvious that....

Spoiler

There are 2 lines to put the contract down, findind aprtner with AJxx or AQxx in hearts (play heart 8) or find partner with AQJx or AQxxx in diamonds (play any diamond).

It seems the hearts are better chance, but its close enough to think a third option could make another winner

[Walddk]

Scoring: IMP

South: 3NT
Lead: S2

---

Here is the full hand.

Bidding: 1NT - 3NT.

Trick 1: S2, A, 6, 9.

Trick 2: CQ, 9, 2, K.

Trick 3: ??

Well done to those of you who found the killing switch: ♥8! (unblocking the suit). If you return ♥3, the suit is agonisingly blocked 30 seconds later. A valiant attempt by declarer to conceal his spade holding by dropping the 9 at trick 1, looking like a man who started with K9 doubleton. But no way he can fool us when we see partner's 6. He would have discouraged with the 7 if he had J7653.

Now the club play. In a situation like this count is not an issue. You already discouraged spades, and everyone at the table knows that ♠Q is an entry. So count is not what partner needs, but a suit preference signal is.

East followed with the ♣9, hoping to tell partner that hearts were the future for the defence. Justin suggested the 8. That might well have worked, but it's a little dangerous in case East has 98 doubleton. In that case he must play the 8 in order to get a diamond switch.

Once West sees the 9, he must surely turn his attention to hearts, but that is not enough as I explained. And yes, Jimmy, the 8 does look like a big card (no interest in the suit), but there is no law against thinking, and what you must be hoping for when you do switch to a heart is for declarer to hold Q9 or J9.

You can only hope that partner gets the message, but he should really take stock when he sees the 9 from declarer. After some deliberation he will hopefully return the 4.

Just as well that you unblocked the 8, wasn't it?

By the way, not a good hand for weak notrumpers. The bidding would then have gone:

1♦ - 2♣
2N - 3N

Now the heart switch is much easier to find.

Roland

[whereagles]

bah.. my great defense of ducking the club king was the best. It required pard to have only the DA, a much lesser prayer than AJ7x or better in hearts

[Fluffy]

If I didn't misscount partner could held 5-7 HCP, this meas ♦AQ would let him hold ♥J.

[FrancesHinden]

Fluffy, on Jun 2 2005, 10:50 PM, said:

Winstonm, on Jun 2 2005, 04:07 PM, said:

Delarer holds the following known cards: K(J) of spades, and the A of clubs.

This looks similar than my first analysis , but its wrong:

Declarer might have ♠953, leaving pratner with ♠KJ86, the problem is, appart from making your 4 obvious tricks there is no way you can find a 5th.

I couldn't think of a hand for declarer holding 953 of spades where it was correct for him to rise with the Ace.