Declarer problem

[flytoox]

Playing Precision with pd,

north's hand

S: AK2

H: QJ8

D: A86

C: QJT2

 

south's hand

 

S: J862

H: AKT92

D: T54

C: 7

 

Opponents are silent. Auction is:

 

N S

1C* 1H

1N 2S

4H AP

 

Your LHO leads a trump. Plan your play?

[mikeh]

It seems right to win this cheaply in hand and to lead a ♣.

 

Best defence (on most layouts) would seem to be for RHO to win and switch to a ♦. In that case, I win in dummy and fire a ♣ honour at them.

 

50% of the time, both ♣ honours are in the same hand. If they are on my left, I am going to dispose of one ♦ on the second ♣ (losing 2♣s and 1♦) and then both my ♠ losers go as well.

 

If they are on my right, then I win the ♦ switch, ruff out the second top ♣ and return to dummy in ♠ to take a ♦ pitch. Then I cash second top ♠ and exit a ♠: they cannot stop me ruffing a ♠ in dummy for my 10th trick.

 

If the ♣s are split, RHO wins the 1st and plays a ♦: I run the next ♣ from dummy, pitching a ♦. Presumably LHO wins this and plays on ♦s. Now I think I need the ♠Q to come down doubleton, although in theory I can catch LHO in a black suit squeeze if he began with the ♠Q, any length, and 4♣s. I'd therefore run the trump before playing on ♠.

[Finch]

I don't think it's 50% that both club honours are in the same hand, becuase LHO would probably have led a club from the AK. However, playing on spades at once is pretty hopeless - it seems to need someone to hold Qx of spades together with a doubleton trump.

 

Playing on clubs has some additional chances of misdefence. We could try the following:

 

Win the trump in hand and play a club up.

If LHO rises with an honour, play for RHO to have the other honour (no club lead).

 

If LHO plays low and RHO wins an honour and returns a diamond, duck the diamond, win the next diamond and advance another club. If RHO plays low without a care in the world we could continue

 

- club ruff

- spade to dummy

- club ruff high dropping LHO's club honour

- one more round of trumps to dummy

- other top spade; if the queen doesn't fall

- master club discarding a diamond (praying LHO has to follow)

- diamond ruff in hand

 

(this needs LHO to be 2-3 hearts & clubs, or for hearts 3-2 with Qx of spades somewhere)

 

If the second club ruff doesn't drop LHO's club honour we can still make with Qx of spades by continuing spade to dummy (dropping the Queen), club ruff high, trump to dummy overtaking, cash the last trump.

 

This also makes if RHO has a doubleton diamond, say Qxxx xxx Kx Kxxx as we'll make the SJ in the endgame.

 

I quite like this line, becuase most RHO's won't be able to play low smoothly on the second club with the AK.

[flytoox]

what do mike and frances think of playing clube Q from dummy? Is this line technically better, or equivalent to , or worse than the line playing club from hand? Is it better psychologically?

[hatchett]

I don't think it is very likely LHO has AK♣, surely he would have led one.

 

Is this line technically better, or equivalent to , or worse than the line playing club from hand?

Technically it's worse, losing if LHO does have both ♣ honors and not gaining against any holding

 

 

Is it better psychologically?

It might gain when RHO has K to length and he doesn't play it on the first round.

[whereagles]

Another vote for "win in hand, play club up and take it from there."