Best Played Hand of the Year?

[kenrexford]

[hv=d=s&v=n&n=sajh105432dkj10987c&s=skq5432h9da2cq1086]133|200|Scoring: MP[/hv]

 

I will admit to being Declarer here.

 

The auction was 1♠-2♥-3♦-P-3♠-P-4♠-all pass.

 

The lead was the heart Ace (RHO dropped Jack, slowly), followed by a trump. I won in dummy, drossed to hand with a heart ruff (noting the drop of the heart Queen), and ruffed a small club. Another heart ruff (RHO pitching a club), and then pulled trump. LHO turned up with two trumps. On the third trump, LHO ditched a small diamond.

 

Expecting that the diamond finesse failed, I decided that LHO held this hand:

 

♠xx ♥AKxxx ♦xx ♣Axx.

 

So, I spurned the diamond finesse or drop and elected a small club. You see that this creates a small problem for West. If he rises with the club, he is end-played immediately, except for the diamond exit. But, he does not want to use that exit and will duck. This happened, and RHO won the 10.

 

When a diamond came back, stripping LHO of his exit, I simply threw LHO in for his King or Ace to lead a heart, to establish the 10. If he held the King, the crocodile coup would set up my club Queen, which works also. In practice, he won the club and cashed the heart King, which I ruffed, the heart 10 being my 10th trick.

 

Eloquent line, eh?

 

My partner pointed out, after the play, that this line was more than eloquent. "Knowing" that the diamond finesse would fail, I elected to play LHO for only 12 cards, a "much more likely layout." Somehow, LHO ignored his fourth club also and was apparently convinced, by my play, that he in fact must not have it. So, the eloquent line worked. LOL