help needed with this slam.

[han]

[hv=d=s&v=n&n=sqxxhkxxxdk10xck9x&s=sakxxxhadaxxxca10x]133|200|Scoring: IMP

6♥, heart lead, spades split.[/hv]

[mikeh]

Okay: here goes:

 

Win ♥A and pull trump, then duck a ♦.

 

If they switch to a ♣, that may give me that suit, but for now I assume a red suit return: probably a ♥. I pitch the ♣10 on the ♥K, cash the ♦K and ruff a ♥, reducing to:

 

    void

    x

    x

    K9x

 

 

opposite

 

    x

    void

    Ax

    Ax

 

If a defender held 4♦ and either 5♣ or any length in ♣ with the QJ, he is squeezed on my last trump.

 

If LHO began with 5♥, and 4♦, he must release a ♣, and now the ♣A/K squeezes him in the reds

 

If in the endgame LHO has void xx void Hxx and RHO has void void QJ Jxx, then on the last trump, LHO throws a ♥ and rho lets go a ♣. Now, assuming we throw a ♦ from dummy, keeping the ♥, the ♦A squeezes LHO.

 

I am not covering all of the possible distributions since I do not know which way trump split nor have I covered the 4=4 ♥ positions in these examples, but the theme remains the same.

 

We need to watch carefully, and decide the end position.

 

Of course, all of the foregoing is rendered unnecessary when ♦ break 3=3 or if an opp began with QJ tight (I would not play a ♦ to the 10, when ducking the ♦, because to do so gives up on this holding: I would play my first ♦ towards the K10x: if LHO inserts an honour, I'd treat it as splitting and return to hand with a non-♦ and lead low towards the 10x.

[Fluffy]

I can see 3 lines:

 

pure squeeze:

-duck a ♦ and hope to win your extra trick with a squeeze or doubvle squeeze.

combination of endplay and squeeze in the minors:

-The coup I don't remember its name: duck a ♦ and try to ruff 4th in dummy.

-give up ♥s, and try to squeeze someone with ♥xxx and ♦Hx, if this fails you can revert to minor suit squeeze or ♦ 3-3. It would go this way: ♥A,♠AKQ, ♥ ruff. ♦K, ♥ruff and ♦ducked all around. I bet for this line because its much prettier than the simple squeeze :ph34r:

[han]

I actually got a club lead which gave me the contract (after which I managed to claim one trick to few so that I still went down) but that's all beside the point.

 

Hearts split 4-4, lefty had QJxxx of clubs and righty had Hxxx of diamonds.

 

Fluffy's second line would have worked (as lefty was 2-4-2-5) but I was looking for a double squeeze and I couldn't quite see how to do it.

[PMetsch]

I don't see how a double squeeze will work if LHO is squeezed in ♦ + ♣ and RHO is squeezed in ♥ + ♣, because both opponents are behind the threats. You can play for a double squeeze if RHO has long ♦ and LHO has long ♥.

Win the lead and duck a diamond, if opponents return a spade or a heart, ruff ♥ and draw trumps.

 

[hv=n=shkxdktckxx&s=sxhdaxxcaxx]133|200|[/hv]

Now ♦K and ♦A, ♠ (discarding a ♣) and LHO is squeezed in ♥ + ♣. ♣K and ♥K and RHO is squeezed in ♦ + ♣.

[inquiry]

6♥ has no play, what so ever. So let's assume the contract is a typo, and the contract is 6NT or 6♠.

 

This hand is fairly elementary, and the squeeze plays mentioned above come to mind. Spades will need to split (clue, Hannie said they do). So you have 5♠, 2♥, 2♦, 2♣ for 11 tricks.

 

Possible 12th trick, 3-3 ♦ split, doubleton QJ of diamonds, singleton ♦J or Q with EAST, simple squeeze, double squeeze, and GUARD SQUEEZE, and double Guard squeeze, but there is an intersesting dual losing card squeeze/throwin-endplay possibility not mentioned. So I will add it to the mix (need some more info on how play went to decide on which line, of coursE).

 

For the guard squeezes to work (double or simple), you must not cash the heart king early. So a lot depends on how the cards split and who plays what as you play three rounds of trumps. I will play in 6♠ where I can ruff the second round of hearts to maintain the double quard and simple guard squeeze options.

 

But there is one lay of the cards that really worries me. West with 2-4-4-3. Win ♥ ACE, pull trumps in three rounds. Who had four? What happened on the first round of hearts. What did the hand with two trumps discard? The heart six was an intersting lead. Looks thrid or fourth best (missing QJT98765 or so, it hard for them to fool you too bad on the count. With JT9(x), QJ9(x), etc, a spot card would be lead. The six might be lowest if you have K542 in dummy. So hearts might be 4-4. If west had three spades to boot, East discard on the spade would be interesting. If it is a heart, we can assume that west alone guards hearts (if they play 4th best leads), and a nice compound squeeze/simple/double squeeze will surely work. If EAST discards a diamond or a club (giving him presumable 2-4-2-5 or 2-4-4-3, the double quard squeeze now comes to light (east has to keep long hearts to stop the double squeeze).

 

But what if it is East who had the three spades, it is WEST discard that becomes interesting (along with if they play fifth best or fourth best leads). A heart discard by WEST would suggest possible five hearts, where he alone guards the heart suit, or he has abandoned hearts (with obviously 2-4-4-3, for with four clubs he could always afford one here I think from the bidding).

 

Against such a holding, the squeeze will be muddled a bit, as if the club threat is in dummy, then you have no upper threat against RHO, and if club threat is in your hand, you have no upper theat against LHO. This holding would be problematic:

 

[hv=n=shkxxdktcktx&w=shjxdqj9cjxx&e=shtxxdqcq8xx&s=sxxhdxxxca9x]399|300|I gave east=west double high honors in diamonds so that no lucky division can be found (like WEST with QJxx). No matter for the play in mind. [/hv]

 

West threw a heart on third spade. You have pulled trumps and cash diamond ace, no jack or queen, now fearing this distribution, you can cash a trump. What is WEST to discard? Assume a heart (or club, no difference), You throw a heart from dummy. Next your last trump. West still can't afford a diamond (else, diamond, so he has to toss a heart (or expose his partner to a second round club finessee), and you pitch a diamond from dummy. EAST has either kept three hearts (and thus only two clubs), or three clubs (and thus only two hearts). If EAST kept two hearts, cash heart KING and throw him in with the last heart to force him to open clubs for you. IF he kept three hearts, you can not do that (he will cash two heart). So you duck a heart to him, exposing his partner to a minor suit squeeze when the heart king is cashed. Note if WEST keeps the jack of hearts (to prevent the heart duck), east can not keep three hearts or your clubs run.

 

Anyway, that ending looked cute enough to mention. The key ending here is...

[hv=n=shkxxdktcktx&w=shjxdqj9cjxx&e=shtxxdqcq8xx&s=sxxhdxxxca9x]399|300|I gave east=west double high honors in diamonds so that no lucky division can be found (like WEST with QJxx). No matter for the play in mind. [/hv]