hatchett

I'll start off by assuming declarer has 7 ♣s and no 4 card major. If declarer has a doubleton ♦ partner's 9 suggests it is KQ doubleton. His possible shapes are 2227, 3127 or 1327. The correct defence against these shapes is to win and attempt to cash as many hearts as possible since the 2227 shape can discard 1 heart loser and 1327 shape two hearts loser on the spades if we duck. If declarer has a trebleton diamond then his possible shapes are 0337, 1237 or 2137. This time it doesn't matter if we duck the diamond or attempt to cash as many hearts as possible; 2 more against 0337 followed by a diamond and partner gets his ruff (ducking is neutral against this shape). One more against 1237 (our defence is neutral against this shape whether we duck or win, we swap a diamond ruff for a heart trick) and none against 2137 (but again our defence is neutral since if we duck declarer simply disacards the third dimond on the spades) If declarer has 4 diamonds then his possible shapes are 0247 and 1147; then against 0247 I can attempt to cash hearts and even if I can't read partner's count signal on the ♥K, partner still gets a diamond ruff to beat the contract, against 1147 I must return a diamond to beat the contract. Since 1147 is only one shape but winning diamond Ace and returning a heart is superior against 2227 and 1327 that is what I will do. I'm not sure tht declarer's line is wrong, from his prospective the only chance of making the contract is that, however unlikely is that RHO has underled the diamond A. If it get time I will take a look to see if it makes a difference if declarer may only has 6 clubs.

On the second hand I will win the heart Ace in dummy, and play club AQ. If the queen is ducked. Then I hope that spades play for 5 tricks and I will have to judge whether clubs are 3-3 or RHO has both minor suit guards. If the queen is won I am in better shape, win the heart continuation test clubs and if they play for 4 tricks I make if spades run or various squeeze chances come in. If when I play club AQ the Q is ducked but the ten drops I have extra chances. I cash two spades. I have 5 spade tricks I am home, crossing on a diamond to hand to set up clubs. If nothing exciting happens on the two top spades, I again have to decide whether clubs are 3-3 or rho has both minors suits guarded.

I was assuming having pre-empted that he would allow his partner to assess his sides defensive/offensive potential, rather than bid his hand twice.

lol

Both hands look pretty complex. On 1 my first decision is whether to take the ♣ finesse or not. If I don't take it, I only have 3 side suit tricks on top, so even if I guess diamonds I need 8 trump tricks, since I don't really have the entries or trump pips to set up either minor. Due to the side suit trick crisis I lean towards taking the ♣ finesse at trick two. If the queen holds, I will continue the club J to the to K and ace and play a diamond. If I guess diamonds correctly then I am in fairly good shape, needing only 7 trump tricks in a cross-ruff (only needing to guess which two cards to ruff low in hand). If I misguess diamonds, I can take the ruffing diamond finesse hoping LHO has the remaining diamond honor and the diamonds break 4-3, or if they don't return a trump attempt to scoe 8 trump tricks.

I strongly suspect the 4♣ bidder has shot his bolt.

I agree with Mikeh, I don't think you can make it if they defend accurately if RHO has the ♣A and LHO has 4 ♠ to K, unless RHO has Hx or H heart.

I would bid 4♠ in case it makes. Way off from a slam try.

It seems abstruse to construct the play after an accepted lead out of turn.

Pass. I expect partner to run if LHO passes. By the way 2♣ wouldshowa better hand for me.

I agree with the 5♠ bidders, LHO usually has a big two suiter on this auction.

Pass seems perfect. I certainly don't want to discourage partner from bidding with two honors in his first suit on what is probably a double fit hand.

I'm a light opening bidder but I don't really fancy this with a short Q and QJ doubleton and a 6322 shape,and weakish heart pips. Equally a weak 2 might miss a 3NT opposite a fitting minimum. I quite fancy an initial pass.

I like to play 2NT as a good raise of partner's overcall in this type of sequence where no cuebid is avialable.

If 2♥ forced to 3♦ then I would assume that pass shows non-minimum and 3♦ is the weakest action.

And east has a fairly comfortable reopening double after 2♠ p p

I agree with Cherdano this is a clear constructive raise for the reasons he outlines.

I also agree with the ruling, as Roland says his hesitation strongly suggests less than 4♥ and it is unreasonable to allow a bid that caters for this when there are other alternatives.

I'm not very keen, to say the least, of a 1NT opener, 1♠ is clear to me. Over 1NT non forcing, 2♦ is equally clear.

If he ducks the ♦K it's easy you draw trumps and play a club to establish a discard for the ♥.

If you swap the position of AK♥s and AK♦s then a heart switch is necessary (actually AK and a third club would work as well), but a ♦ switch would let it through, since west is subjected to a trump squeeze.....Say you switch to a diamond to the K and A and west continues ♣s (best) and east plays a third round, west ruffing to nullify the discard on the ♣Q. Declarer now runs the ♠ suit, reducing to this ending. [hv=n=s63hqjd8c&w=shk8d962c&e=sh94dj7c9&s=sha3dq54c]399|300|[/hv] On the penultimate ♠, south throws a low heart and west can choose his poison

For me 1. Describe; my pre-empts essentially always have four card support 2. Bash 3. Describe. Very powerful hand that could be making slam opposite a fitting minimum 4. Bash

by the way if you signal second highest with 4, then partner could have 4 spades, but this gives declarer AQxxx diamonds, and he would play on diamonds before spades.

I don't think I can beat this for sure. i the 7 can't be highest from a 4 card suit . ii If the 7 is lowest from 789 then declarer has Axxx Qxx AQxx xx now I need to return a spade attacking his entries; I can discard a spade on the third round of diamonds. If you play a diamond, declarer plays K,A, ruff a diamond spade A and top diamond making easily. iii If the 7 is from a doubleton then declarer has Axxxx Qxx AQx xx now we need to play a diamond. On a spade declarer plays spade, spade, ruff a spade, crosses on a diamond to play the fifth round of spades. A diamond attack his entries as in (ii) enabling us to discard a diamond on the fourth round of spades. Discounting (i), (ii) a spade, works when partner 789 exactly in spades, while (iii) a diamond works when partner has 74,76 I haven't done the exact maths but I would assume that the two doubleton combinations are together higher than the one 3 card combination, so I would play a diamond.

Depends on how you play the double. I like to play it as I would like to save, but am doubling in case you want to defend. Hence playing with myself I would bid 5♥.