Declare or defend?

[foo]

I've just looked at this post, not the rest of the thread.  Declare.

 

Variation 1:

My initial reaction, which may be woefully wrong, is to perforce win the ♥A on T1

T2: Then put the ♠K on the table.  Let's say E wins the ♠A and

T3: puts a ♥ thru.

Well yes, declarer now makes. However if East plays any card other than Heart at trick 3 then the defence prevails. BUT only because the Spade King at trick 2 is an error. Your decision to declare is otherwise correct.

Ummm, no.

 

S is cold after E wins the ♠A regardless of what they return.

 

♠T?: Win. Draw last trump. Use transportation to dummy to set up ♦ pitches under ♥'s

 

♦9?: Win. Draw trumps. CQ, K, A. H ruff. CJ. Throw E in with Cx. ruff C return

(E now has 1 D and 2 H's)

Dx to DA and now you and E each get a ♥.

 

♣8?: Q, K, A. Draw trumps. Same as above..

[jtfanclub]

♠T?: Win. Draw last trump. Use transportation to dummy to set up ♦ pitches under ♥'s

Try it. After you draw the last trump, here's the situation....

 

 

[hv=n=sht87dak7ca76&w=shdqjt2ckt932&e=shqj954d98c84&s=s32hd6543cqj5]399|300|[/hv]

 

I think you'll find it impossible to set up even a single trick in hearts, or the last diamond.

[foo]

♠T?: Win.   Draw last trump. Use transportation to dummy to set up ♦ pitches under ♥'s

Try it. After you draw the last trump, here's the situation....

 

 

[hv=n=sht87dak7ca76&w=shdqjt2ckt932&e=shqj954d98c84&s=s32hd6543cqj5]399|300|[/hv]

 

I think you'll find it impossible to set up even a single trick in hearts, or the last diamond.

Nah, I've got this one right :).

 

CQ, CK, CA*, Hx

 

H7, HJ, Sx*, Cx (if E does not cover the H7, S discards a loser and makes 5)

 

CJ*, Cx, Cx, Hx

 

Cx, C9*, C7, Hx

 

CT, D7, Hx, Sx*

 

At this point I have lost 2 tricks.

I now get both DA and DK, and the H8 or the HT for 10 tricks.

[jtfanclub]

And why, exactly, would he play the Jack of hearts?

 

Going three tricks further, with the opponent playing the heart 9, since he can see the ten.

 

[hv=n=sht8dak7c7&w=shdqjt2ckt&e=shqj54d98c&s=s3hd6543c5]399|300|[/hv]

 

If you play a club now, West wins and returns the 3 of diamonds. If you duck that, East continues diamonds. East keeps the high hearts, West keeps the high diamonds excluding the AK, and since all you and your partner have are red cards, you can't avoid losing 3 tricks.

[foo]

And why, exactly, would he play the Jack of hearts?

I assume you are talking about E Ducking the H7 when I play it from Dummy.

 

The answer is that if E doesn't cover the H7, S discards a C or a D and makes 5 instead of 4.

 

From the bidding and the play (not to mention that this is a DD problem), S knows that W had the stiff HK. If E does not cover the H7, S will never ruff it.

[jtfanclub]

The answer is that if E doesn't cover the H7

He covers it with the 9, not with the jack, which is what leads to the ending I displayed.

[foo]

Ah! As long as E preserves the H QJ9, You have to attack ♣'s on T2 in order to make.

 

T3: Then you play a trump from dummy, winning assuming E plays 2nd hand low.

T4: duck a trump, forcing E to win the SA.

Now you are cold.

[jtfanclub]

Ah! As long as E preserves the H QJ9, You have to attack ♣'s on T2 in order to make.

 

T3: Then you play a trump from dummy, winning assuming E plays 2nd hand low.

T4: duck a trump, forcing E to win the SA.

Now you are cold.

Well, of course he does, partner led the king, after all, and he can see all the hearts but the A.

 

The plan where, instead, you lead a club on trick 2 and lead a spade back towards your hand is more difficult than it looks, but Edmunte spelled it all out.