Hand from our IMP league match (last of 1st 1/2)

[pclayton]

Setting: Its the last hand of the 1st half of your semi-final IMP match. You started off strong, but things have petered off. On hand #15, your pard made a silly lead directional double with KJTx in their game forcing auction. Little did he know they had an 8 card fit. They find the blue card and you get to write -1160 on your private. He is still mad at himself when the following comes up.

 

[hv=d=w&v=n&n=saqjhakt74dkt96cq&w=sk942hq93d74cak83]266|200|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

You open 1♦ (precision), double on left, 1♥ on right, 4♥ on left.

 

You start out with the ♣K (which requests count). Pard follows with the 2 and declarer plays the 3.

 

Side note: Your agreements are UDCA and "Obvious Shift". Because of the stiff club, the count signal comes off. Pard's 2 is supposed to deny the A or Q of ♦'s (your suit). However, because you have defended all of 3 boards so far, and he doesn't play obvious shift with anyone else, you suspect he has spaced out your agreement. Furthermore, he is still on tilt after giving up the -1160.

 

How do you continue?

[mike777]

I can understand the confusion on this one.

1) Playing "OS" the K of clubs asks for attitude and never count in a 4H contract. It still asks for attitude even with a stiff club in dummy.

2) My understanding is the rest of the world will play suit pref now with that stiff Q in dummy but "OS" players DO NOT!. That is the main point of "OS" we do not switch away from the attitude signal at trick one 99.99% of the time.

[luke warm]

i'd lead the ♣A, but i'd feel better (as mike said) if partner had given attitude on the lead... maybe partner has both the ♦A (if he forgot your agreement) and the ♣J and can make declarer ruff on the board again

[pclayton]

I think its doubtful that the 2 should ask for a club continuation. Pard isn't looking at a lot of trump and for him to know tapping the dummy is right seems to be a stretch. Again the 2 SHOULD deny the ♦A/Q, but its up to you to factor in your pard's mental state and not win the post mortem :)

 

Mike, I'm not aware that a King lead playing OS specifically asks for attitude (anything more than an Ace or Queen for instance), but its not our agreement anyway. A King lead specifically asks for count - many players play it at the 5 level and higher and we play it at the 4 level.

[mike777]

That is fine if you play that.

 

In "OS" the whole point of the system is that we show attitude at trick one in 99.99% of the situations. This hand would not be an exception.

Playing standard not Udca:

1)very high says make unusual switch suit(this can be hard to read and takes alot of practice).

2) low means make usual switch suit

3) high means do not switch

4) we can never tell pard to switch to trumps she needs to figure that out on her own.

[Codo]

If pds signal was right, declarer has no problem: He draws trumps, reaches hand IN diamond and finesses twice in Spade = 10 tricks and no way to stop.

So, trust your pd and hope for the next board in a long event.

But this is the semifinal, so you better hold on and think: Your chances are quite remote: Even in a 5-3 fit oppopsite xxx,xxx,QJxx,xxx, declarer can make it.

I see no way to tap dummy or to give pd a ruff. (My ruff could be an original trump trick.) So my only reomte chance is, that I can get all entries to the hand away, so, that they may not be able to finesse twice in spade.

As the only entries are in Diamond, I switch now to "my" suit.