Mrs. Guggenheim's defense

[kenrexford]

OK. Let's think this through a bit more...

 

Everyone knows that West would hop the honor from H10x(x) or from Hx(x). So, West cannot have that. West could have Hxxx, no honor, or both.

 

From both, everyone knows that West can hop an honor, as this forces a restricted choice, playing West for one honor and not both, and avoiding the "he ducked so the 9 ain't working" conspiracy theory play.

 

So, West looks to have nothing, or Hxxx. That gives East KQ10(x)(x), or H10 doubleton.

 

With KQ10(x)(x), the honor play is the obvious falsecard (when it matters), so Mrs. Guggenheim decides whether appearing to have H10 doubleton might lead Declarer wrong.

 

If Mrs. Guggenheim does have H10 doubleton, only West can protect hearts. So, we are back to a spade-heart squeeze against West, as an alternative line for Declarer. She will convince Declarer of taking that line by playing the 10.

 

The club comes back. Partner must be in on the secret. He should be; she paid him enough. He will realize that there is not much tobreak up a real squeeze, if one existed, and will exit a diamond. This creates a chance for a deep game ruse.

 

On the run of the diamonds, Mrs. Guggenheim can pitch her heart King. Why would she do that, you ask? Well, she is creating an elaborate illusion. She wants Declarer to think that she thinks that he has a stiff. If he has a doubleton, nothing matters because the squeeze works. But, if he has a stiff, he will reach an end position where East must have the spade King and two others for her discard of the heart honor. Declarer smells a deep game attempt to fool him.

 

However, as Declarer has the doubleton heart, he can now simply finesse the heart as his alternative line. This, of course, requires that Declarer had removed the spade Ace early on, for ease of card-watching.

 

This would be a much sexier line had Mrs. Guggenheim not had the spade 10, of course, as the spade Ace would be a much better play, catering to a possible stiff Jack with West and a Vienna Coup squeeze against East thereby enabled. But, hands are not perfect.