Best line for 13 tricks

[brianshark]

[hv=d=s&v=n&n=skqj97h85dqj5caj6&s=sa4haj3da72ckqt43]133|200|Scoring: IMP

Contract: 7NT by South

Lead: ♥4 (and East will insert the ♥Q.)[/hv]

 

You quickly find your way to 7NT after your RHO overcalls 2♥s in the sandwich position. Over to you.

[david_c]

I think you have to cross to dummy with a club and run the ♦Q immediately, playing RHO for the king. This caters for LHO having five spades to the ten (whether the ♦Q is covered or not, you have an easy double squeeze).

[Finch]

I need the diamond finesse. I'm going to give up on the show-up squeeze when LHO has singleton SK in order to maximise the chances when spades are 5-1.

 

So, win the ace of hearts.

Club to dummy.

Queen of diamonds.

 

If RHO does not cover the DQ, run five clubs discarding a heart and a spade from dummy, then four rounds of spades squeezes West in the red suits.

 

If RHO does cover the diamond, we have to be a bit careful. It's always makeable double dummy, but single dummy is more interesting. Is it really an easy double squeeze?

[david_c]

If RHO does cover the diamond, we have to be a bit careful. It's always makeable double dummy, but single dummy is more interesting.  Is it really an easy double squeeze?

I can't see what goes wrong. I'm cashing four rounds of spades, pitching a heart and a diamond from hand, and then running all the clubs, coming down to ♠9 ♦J5 opposite ♥J ♦7 ♣T and leading the ♣T. Doesn't that work?

[Finch]

Looks like it.

 

I just thought we had to be quite careful what order to cash winners in and I hadn't worked it out!

 

Note that if RHO doesn't cover the diamond it's necessary to cash clubs first.

If RHO does cover the diamond you point out it's necessary to cash spades first.

 

p.s. What if RHO is 5-6 in the majors? Now there is certainly a major suit squeeze, but again the order of winner-cashing has to be rather careful.

[SoTired]

If RHO does cover the diamond, we have to be a bit careful. It's always makeable double dummy, but single dummy is more interesting.  Is it really an easy double squeeze?

I can't see what goes wrong. I'm cashing four rounds of spades, pitching a heart and a diamond from hand, and then running all the clubs, coming down to ♠9 ♦J5 opposite ♥J ♦7 ♣T and leading the ♣T. Doesn't that work?

Unfortunately, no. When you cash the last club, LHO holds onto 2♦ and RHO holds onto ♠10 and ♥K.

 

Instead, after the ♦Q is covered by the ♦K, you must cash the ♦J and run the clubs coming down to ♠KQJ9x in dummy and ♠Ax ♥Jx ♦x. If RHO holds onto the ♥K, RHO cannot have 5♠. If LHO saves a ♦, then LHO cannot have 5♠.

[david_c]

Unfortunately, no. When you cash the last club, LHO holds onto 2♦ and RHO holds onto ♠10 and ♥K.

Well that's why I said, "This caters for LHO having five spades to the ten". Obviously if you give RHO the spade length instead then it doesn't work. But I can't find a way of catering to both possibilities, can you?

 

I suppose we should play two rounds of clubs first to see what's going on in that suit, but I'm going to stick with my original play unless RHO is short (if he has a singleton club I have no idea what to do).

[Finch]

If RHO does cover the diamond, we have to be a bit careful. It's always makeable double dummy, but single dummy is more interesting.  Is it really an easy double squeeze?

I can't see what goes wrong. I'm cashing four rounds of spades, pitching a heart and a diamond from hand, and then running all the clubs, coming down to ♠9 ♦J5 opposite ♥J ♦7 ♣T and leading the ♣T. Doesn't that work?

Unfortunately, no. When you cash the last club, LHO holds onto 2♦ and RHO holds onto ♠10 and ♥K.

 

Instead, after the ♦Q is covered by the ♦K, you must cash the ♦J and run the clubs coming down to ♠KQJ9x in dummy and ♠Ax ♥Jx ♦x. If RHO holds onto the ♥K, RHO cannot have 5♠. If LHO saves a ♦, then LHO cannot have 5♠.

Yes, but if LHO has come down to 5 spades and RHO to 1 spade, 3 hearts and 1 diamond, now what?

 

I still can't see how to ensure the contract single dummy (given the diamond finesse), though I feel there ought to be a way.

[brianshark]

I was declarer in this one. Though I was in 6NT and the play was quick and painless. I ran my ♣s first, then ♠s to end in dummy so when the when RHO showed out on the 2nd round, I could fall back on the ♦ finesse for my 12th. I wasn't too bothered about the overtrick, and time was pressing, hence my rushed cashing of tricks. Maybe I can leave a ♣ in hand and still enact a double squeeze if LHO shows up with a ♠ stopper but I didn't think of it at the time.

 

It was only afterwards I got thinking that if I was in 7NT, how I might ensure the contract against any ♠ layout assuming the ♦K was onside, hence seeing what you guys thought.

 

Incidentally, our counterparts on the other table ended up playing 7♠x going off 2 after the same ♠ break for a nice swing to us. We ended up winning that match 25-4 (VPs), and the lead after the first round (it was swissed). Alas, it all went downhill from there. :)