zenbiddist

Some experts like to play that where 4NT is pick-a-minor, you can use it then correct to 5M as a slam try.

So this hand came up last night in a Sydney tournament: [hv=pc=n&s=sa542hakt3dqcqt97&w=skqj86hq854djc853&n=s9hj97dakt86532c2&e=st73h62d974cakj64]399|300[/hv] 6♦ South On the ♠K lead.. On a club lead.. Which lead breaks 6♦ by North? The only guy to bid the slam made it on that lead. So what did the opponents need to do to beat it? Cool hand :)

Thanks Paul!

True, at the table my LHO gave the impression from her questions, pauses and intensity that she had the major-suit stuff. I played low in dummy at trick one and RHO played the ♣T - now the club lead looks nothingy and aimed at not giving anything away, so probably RHO has three+ clubs and three diamonds. If you presume LHO has the ♥A, there's no legitimate way to get LHO in spades and clubs, is there, because dummy pitches first? So don't you have to now play for LHO to be long in spades like Fluffy said? If so, how would you play? Is it right to sneak a heart trick from LHO then cash all the minors? I'm wondering if there's another legitimate line - that's why I haven't shown the full deal yet - interested in strong players' analysis. My partner certainly overbid and I should have bid 6♦ not 6NT, but considering I was there, I think it's a cool hand

6NT South Edit: if you find the problem unpalatable, pretend you're in 3NT and it's matchpoints. ♠AQ86 ♥K98 ♦8 ♣K9865 ♠32 ♥Q73 ♦AKQ532 ♣A3 ♣4 led after an I-have-stuff tank and some questions from LHO. (The diamonds are 3-3 and the ♠K is onside).

Do you mean West could have been attacking the entry to diamonds (the suit both opps guard) to break up a double squeeze?

I like this thought. Another observation somebody made was that West is more likely to put up the ♣A staring at club length.

1. 1♦ (3♦* stopper ask) X = what is double here? Values or a diamond honour? 2. (1♣) 1♠ (X) XX = what is redouble? misfit suggesting penalties? a spade honour? Thanks! John

True. But in that case, it's also possible for West to visualise ♦K in partner's hand, so he might try a low diamond. When I showed this hand single-dummy to two squeeze lovers, they ruled out the double squeeze because the entries look a bit messed up. That only happens when the dude shifts to a diamond, so in that sense it was a cool switch: [hv=pc=n&s=s4hdk6c4&w=shdjtcqj&n=sh6d4ck9&e=sh9dq87c]399|300[/hv]

♣T was pitched by LHO earlier, forgot to mention that.

I started the same way then ran trumps. On the last trump, you have to pitch the heart or club threat, which means committing to your read on the layout. I like this hand because each expert I've asked has provided different clues that convinced them about where the fourth heart was, though they disagreed in equal measure. Their odds appear to favour playing for the remaining heart to be divided between the two hands.

[hv=pc=n&s=sakqj84ht3dk62c43&n=st75haq62da54ck95&d=n&v=n&b=5&a=1cp1sdr2h4sppp]266|200[/hv] 4♠ South (matchpoints) LHO leads the ♠6 and shows out on the second round of trumps. You play a club towards dummy - LHO wins ♣A and exits a diamond. What's your plan? What does it depend on? Pretend you're in 6♠ if that sharpens your thinking :)

Thank you very much. If I get around to summarising it I'll certainly post it on the net because it seems like nobody else has done so!

That would be perfect!

Thanks. That looks great but it's $10 US. Is there a short, free summary anywhere? I've found lengthy articles (45page summary: http://www.bridgeguys.com/pdf/PolishClub/polish_club_summary.pdf), but I'm looking for something concise.

Hi there. Has anyone written a good summary of Polish Club in English? Thanks

This is a thoughtful ruling IMO. It is essentially consistent with what one of Australia's top directors (Matthew McManus) said when I gave him the problem: http://www.abda.org.au/forum/index.php?topic=481.msg1968#msg1968 Thanks everyone

Sounds like you found an effective line for those opponents, which is the main thing.

Unless ♦7 was a singleton or doubleton lead, you have four diamonds (safe to rule out 3rds/5ths), so the main question at this stage of the play seems to be whether you rise with the ♣A and take four hearts and four diamonds. If I was better at piecing together clues and figuring out probable hand patterns, I think I would prefer to do that. The psychological line has lots of appeal when it succeeds though! Might work when ♦7 was from shortage, or when ♥Q is unexpectedly with RHO. Ps: This hand is further proof of a ridiculous theory I have that releasing the beer card early in the defence suggests you can't see how to take the contract off (else why abandon all hopes of a free beer?)

(This post edited to clarify the issues after some useful comments) [hv=pc=n&s=sqjhjdaqt942ckqt7&w=s86ha86532dj8c432&n=s5432hkqt4dk76ca8&e=sakt97h97d53cj965&d=n&v=b&b=13&a=1dp2d(inverted)2h2np3cp3nppp]399|300[/hv] 3NT North (matchpoints, Australia). The lead is the ♥9 West wins her ♥A, and says "Well I guess it's all over, red rover". East says "Rubbish". West now switches to a spade, setting the contract by two tricks, giving EW an outright top. Any other continuation gives declarer twelve tricks, which would land NS a shared top. To further complicate matters, EW insist they play suit preference leads in partner's suit, so the spade switch was automatic (though as one commenter noted, ♥9 could be from T9, 97, or 974). However, they didn't bring a system card or pre-alert their unusual leads. Is West's comment that all continuations are hopeless a defensive concession? If so, has East's rejection of the concession suggested a logical alternative? What is your ruling? Although a spade switch might seem like the logical choice double-dummy, it's possible that: 1. East led from ♥KT9 (heart continuation required) 2. Declarer has AKxx,KQTx,xxx,xx (club switch stops dummy's clubs vanishing on declarer's hearts and spades) 3. West hadn't considered East's holding (♠AKT9x) likely until the U.I., due to the failure to overcall 1♠. I'd be inclined to rule +690. Is this too harsh in a club game? Weighted score?

They hadn't discussed leads or carding, but they weren't the types to be using 3/5ths. I figured it was probably 97x, 7xx, 7x, J97 or 97xx, which usually gives you four diamonds. So you can back yourself to make four hearts and reject the club hook. I didn't feel confident enough to guess hearts and hope for a fruitful diamond layout (and I have some perverse attraction to suicidal psychological plays), so I took advantage of the impression and tried CQ (held), then SJ. LHO won SQ and returned a club :)

♠A, cross to dummy's ♠J and either: A) Lead a small club intending to endplay LHO and count more HCPs. He'll set up a pitch for one of the diamonds but I'll still have work to do, OR B) Lead ♦J, intending to let it run, again endplaying West. Who are my opponents? If they are bad line A for sure (did RHO play low?). Keen to hear a stronger player's ideas.

IMPs versus a scratch partnership: [hv=pc=n&s=sj4hkj3dq6caqj954&n=s873hat86dat832c7&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=pp1np2cp2dp3nppp]266|200[/hv] After a huddle, West leads the ♦7 to East's king. East switches to the ♣2

Elegant line Fluffy! I had a strong instinct there was a way to avoid entry problems if RHO has three spades, ruffs DA and forces another heart ruff - your line is nice because it also suits the more likely layouts. Thanks! Case closed I think

[hv=pc=n&s=skjxxxhxxxdkxcaxx&n=saqxxhdaqt9xxcxxx]133|200[/hv] 6♠ South, heart lead