[Echognome]

Scoring: MP

(1♠) - P - (2♠) - P
(3♦)* - X - (P) - P
(3♠) - All Pass

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* Help Suit Game Try

After your "lead directing" double of 3♦ you lead the ♣9 to the Q and K from partner.

Partner returns the ♥4 to declarer's Q and your K.

What next?

[Free]

♥, otherwise partner is nuts not to play ♦...

[pclayton]

Return a heart. Possible that pard has the Ax of hearts and declarer has the KD.

Also possible that pd has a stiff heart, but then declarer made a really bonehead play by finessing.

[ArcLight]

Pard is no dummy, normally he would lead a diamond. There must be a reason he lead a heart.

I think its likely declarer has:
Spades: (5) XXXXX
Hearts: (4): AQJX
Diamonds: (3) xxx
Clubs: X
(or even 4 diamonds and 0 clubs)

Pard has a stiff heart.

Lead a heart back for a ruff, then he will return a diamond through declarer.
You will get 2 ruffs, 2 diamonds, a heart, and a club for down 2.



>Return a heart. Possible that pard has the Ax of hearts and declarer has the KD.

I think this is unlikely because declarer would not make a game try with heart losers on top of diamon losers.

Pard wouldnt return a heart from 4 to the Ace, he'd lead a high diamond, and signal the heart Ace as an entry.

[Double !]

Free, on Aug 12 2005, 04:13 AM, said:

♥, otherwise partner is nuts not to play ♦...

agree

[han]

I also return a heart.

If for some reason partner wanted a shift then he wouldn't have played a low heart.

I don't like the double btw, makes it easier for opponents to stop in 3S.

[luis]

What the hell was the double of 3♦? Why announce what you have? :-)
I return a heart preparing a questionnaire for pd if this is the wrong card now.

[mikeh]

return a ♥.

For me, an easy answer because of the spot led by partner: I play attitude leads on switches, so the low ♥ shows interest: either the A or stiff. Lead my highest spot to ensure the ♦ back, just to prevent partner from thinking I want to ruff a ♣, unlikely as it is that I should want to do so.

BTW, I always like to know what an opp means by HSGT.

Would it be Kxx or xxx? I like hsgt to show length plus an honour, but I know others who like it to show no control at all. That makes little difference here, since I am returning a ♥ anyway, but on some other layouts, it might be critical

[Echognome]

Scoring: MP

P - (1♠) - P - (2♠)
P - (3♦) - X - (P)
P - (3♠) - All Pass

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Yes, I agree with Luis that the double of 3♦ was completely unnecessary. However, it did make the defense interesting as partner didn't switch to a diamond. On the diamond lead however, you better play a high heart to get the diamond back, else partner might think you want a club ruff. I returned a high heart and we set the contract 3 tricks. Who should have doubled it if anyone?

[Free]

isn't +300 enough in MP's?

[Winstonm]

It's hard to imagine a hand worthy of a game try that holds xxx in clubs unless it is fairly strong, and if declarer held only 2 clubs and the AQ of hearts he could rise, draw 2 rounds of trump and then pitch the heart on a club.

So, it looks like declarer should hold something like this:

AKQxx
Q,
Kxxxx
xx

Or if conservative, maybe even:

AKQxx
AQ,
Kxx
xxx.

With the second hand, if I play back a heart, declarer has nothing better to do but lead a diamond. I can win and lead the third heart. Declarer ruffs, and leads another diamond. But now, after I win the diamond, I lead the penultimate heart and partner can pitch his last diamond.

The heart return rates to be best, I think, regardless of which type hand declarer holds and is necessary it seems if declarer holds the second hand.

[pclayton]

Matt: don't lose sleep about not doubling these silly contracts. You are already booked for at least an 80% board when it fails and the field plays a part score. And if by a weird chance, the club and diamond suits are reversed, you've converted a 25% board into a flat zero.