Partner and I agreed, I went 1 down...

[nielsfoged]

[hv=d=e&v=b&n=sajthaj732da43c75&s=s9854hk4dqj87cak2]133|200|Scoring: IMP

Lead ♣3 (4th)[/hv]

p-1NT(12-14)-p-2♦,

p-2♥-p-3NT, all pass

 

If you duck the first ♣, E gets it on the 8, and continues with ♣T.

What is your plan?

 

Niels

[ArtK78]

Win the second club and play a spade to the 10. Assuming that this loses and a club comes back, play a spade to the J. I will win 3 spade tricks any time one spade honor is onside 3 times or less, or both spade honors are onside. That would give me 9 tricks - 2 clubs, 3 spades, 2 hearts and 2 diamonds (I can afford to give up the DK and still only lose a spade, 2 clubs and a diamond). If both spades are offside, they now have 4 black tricks and I have only 7 tricks in the bag. But I still make 9 tricks if either both key red cards are favorably located or if the HQ is onside tripleton. In addition, on the run of the spades an opponent may come under some pressure.

 

If I cannot get three spade tricks because my LHO has one honor fourth or fifth, RHO will be squeezed on the run of the spades and I can throw him in with a diamond to lead hearts (after cashing the HK to get it out of the way).

[Finch]

If I cannot get three spade tricks because my LHO has one honor fourth or fifth, RHO will be squeezed on the run of the spades and I can throw him in with a diamond to lead hearts (after cashing the HK to get it out of the way).

I like playing on spades, but I think this is a little optimistic.... if RHO is 2344 or 2434 he discards a card from his long red suit on the third round of spades. You can't know cross in hearts, take a winning diamond finesse and throw East in with the third diamond because he has a club exit and you have lost 2 clubs, 1 spade, 1 diamond and West can cash a spade to leave you with a heart loser.

 

If instead you cross to the HK and play the fourth spade yourself, East is not in trouble if he started with a 2434, he can discard a diamond (unless he started with specifically 109x) and West can exit in hearts - without cashing the long club.

 

If East started with a 2344 I agree he's now stuck on the fourth spade. But if he started with this shape why play for West to have the DK and not the HQ rather than hearts 3-3 with the Q onside?

[Halo]

I am going to believe the club cards and I'll play Ace and another diamond, then play a spade when I come in with my second club winner. I think maybe this keeps the maximum number of options open as I watch the cards fall - I'll have chances in spades, or perhaps diamonds if the nine or ten fell on my left and in hearts if all else fails.

[nielsfoged]

[hv=d=e&v=b&n=sajthaj732da43c75&w=s63h865dk965cqj63&e=skq72hqt9dt2ct984&s=s9854hk4dqj87cak2]399|300|Scoring: IMP

Lead ♣3 to 8[/hv]

 

This was (unfortunately!) the full deal!

 

I ducked and took the following ♣T with the A (6 from LHO).

Though the ♥'s were tempting and the ♠'s seemed the most "clever", I decided to attack ♦'s immediately to keep connections open, aiming for at least 3+2+2+2 tricks, or a fall back to 2+3+2+2 tricks without giving away more than the apparent 2 ♣s and either 1♠ + 1♦ or 2♠'s:

♦Q-K-A-2.

♥ to K, ♠ to J and Q, and ♣9 to my K (J from LHO, ♥ discard from table).

Now came the slightly scary ♠ finess to T and... ...K, leaving the blocking A on the table.

♣ to Q (♦ off from both hands), and ♦ return to my J.

Only chance now was a remaining ♥Qx in LHO, but no - and 1 down!

 

Apart from the general annoyance of going down with 27 hcps, I think my partner's point was that after the successful ♦ finess, it would be better to continue with ♥'s aiming for 4 tricks in that suit and a total of 1+4+2+2, loosing just the 2 ♣s and 1♥ + trick 13.

 

Maybe he was right?

 

Niels