Hand 4 NPL

[jvage]

[hv=d=n&v=n&n=sk9h852djt652ct93&w=sa832haj93d4cak65]266|200|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

RHO opens a weak 2♥ (normally 6 at this vul). Partner (who is a passed hand) reopens with a double. You decide to pass because of the vul and lead the ♣A. Partner plays an encouraging 2. You switch to a diamond, partner wins the A and gives you a ruff with the lowest diamond, you play a club to partners J and he gives you another diamondruff (declarer following with K, Q and a low one, partner played the lowest outstanding both times). What do you play?

 

John

[pclayton]

There's 2 possibilities:

 

1. Declarer is 2=6=3=2. It doesn't seem to matter what I do. I can trade a spade trick for another diamond ruff, for the same 500, assuming declarer pops King (and pitches his remaining spade on the 4th ♦) when I lead a small one. However, why wouldn't declarer misguess with Jx? Pard has turned up with only the ♣QJ, ♦A, so there's enough room for him to hold the ♠A. I hope pard isn't making balancing x on a 6=0=4=3 :)

 

2. Declarer is horsing around in 3rd chair with a 3=5=3=2. A low spade works here too.

[Finch]

Partner shouldn't have the SQ for this defence - he would have played a higher diamond back for the second ruff, as he is already marked with the CQ.

 

I would play another low club back in case declarer is 2533

[jvage]

Frances may be correct, but this time partner is me, so it is not so obvious your partner should be thrusted :( Partner actually agreed with my signalling, the point is that from my side I needed to tell partner I don't have 5 clubs (far more likely than having 5 spades), so if partner got only 3 the third round will stand up. Also important is that at my side of the screen 2♥ was explained as 6 cards, making a further trump-promotion impossible even if partners remaining heart was the singleton K (I had no quick entry).

 

Partner reasoned correctly that I would always bid 2♠ with 6043, and often with 5143 or 5044 (see the other thread, in the last case his play is irrelevant). Declarer is unlikely to open a weak 2 with 2533 shape. The spade-underlead also gives declarer a chance to misguess. 4144 is my most likely distributions with the known minor-suit lengths.

 

Partner underled his ♠A, which was very succesful when I had QJxx, x, Axxx, QJxx and declarer had xxx, KQTxx, KQx, xx, the only play to lead to +800 :)

 

Note that if declarer really is 2533 we still get +800 and what should be a good board (but miss the possible 1100). The IMP-scale also favours partners actual play. Assuming opponents at the other table make 450 in 4♠ (as they did) we gain 6 IMP's (8-2) and lose 4 IMP's (12-8) when comparing the 2 critical layouts.

 

John