Two play problems from the German 2nd league

[Gerben42]

This one was bid by our opponents:

 

[hv=d=w&v=e&w=s962hkdak85caqt74&e=saqj83ha52d9432c6]266|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

1♠ (4♥) 4NT (p)

5♠ (p) 6♠

 

Lead ♥Q. Overcaller is not the kind of player to bid 4♥ on QJT 7th of ♥ and out.

 

And this hand was bid by us:

 

[hv=d=w&v=e&w=s962hkdak85caqt74&e=saqj83ha52d9432c6]266|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

(p) 1♣* (p) 1♦**

(p) 1♥*** (p) 4♥

All pass.

 

* 14+ with ♣ or 15+ balanced

** 0 - 11, 4+♥

*** 3♥, or min. with 4♥

 

On your screen side North grabs the 1♥-card, then suddenly remembers to ask about 1♦ and decides to NOT bid 1♥ at this point. He also considers doubling the final contract, so assume he has all the missing trumps.

 

Lead ♠2 (3rd and 5th).

[655321]

(1)

Start by playing a ♠ to Q and ruffing a ♥.

Probably (hopefully?) the ♥ will be overruffed.

 

My plan is to make 5 spade tricks, 2 heart tricks and possibly come down to an ending where North is trump squeezed in the minors. I need the ♣K onside, and for nobody to touch clubs. If North wins a trump trick when dummy has no major suit card he will be able to get out a ♦ or a ♣ to kill the ending.

If North is 3244 with the black kings the trump squeeze will provide a 12th trick, but you told us South would not bid 4♥ with that hand.

This line needs a friendly layout (not so likely, perhaps), and friendly defense (quite likely if I were defending this, perhaps you and your partner defended well :) )

 

(2) If the spade is a singleton we can make by playing for ♦ 3-3 with the Q onside, losing 3 trump tricks only.

If spades are 3-3 we should be able to come to 10 tricks with 6 tricks outside spades, the Ace and Queen of hearts, a possible club/4th spade ruff, and the trump pips will be good enough for a 10th trick.

 

I will play for 3-3 spades (2 is a low pip, South may have opened something at favourable with 1534 or similar, and this way we don't need much from ♦). So ♠A, ♦K, ♦A, if this is not ruffed then the ♥4, planning to run it if North is asleep. North can win his K, but he can't win more than 3 heart tricks, or 2 hearts and a club.

[Gerben42]

Too hard? :(

 

The 2nd one:

 

 

You do not have a ♠ loser at this point so if you lose 3 trumps you have to get rid of your ♣ only. If RHO has 2 or more ♦ that is possible.

 

First trick RHO puts in ♠J so you win the Ace.

♦A, ♦K, ♦ ruffed. It turns out they are 3 - 3.

Play a small trump to the Queen. Play a ♦ discarding a ♣. Give up 3 trump tricks while playing ♠.

 

 

[cherdano]

How about just losing two trump tricks on the second one?

[whereagles]

#1. I think I'll try and play a spade to the Q and, if that holds, a club to the 10.

 

#2. too tired after #1 :)

[Fluffy]

spade to the queen and a heart from dummy.

[Fluffy]

SECOND

 

it looks like diamond finese o spades 3-3, I'd go for the fist, ♠A and ♦J, next a heart to dummy keeping the diamonds blocked temporarilly.

[Codo]

1: Finesse in Spade. If this works, finesse in Club to the queen and finesse again in spades. Lousy plan but I cannot see how I should surivive without the spade finesse. But if htis finess works, the Club finesse is a good bet after your words about your opoonent.

IF all this is fine, I will play a second trump to the jack. IF I had survived so far, I will decide how to handle my losers.

 

2. I win in hand and finesse in Diamond. I play a middle heart, covered and won. A diamond back and a next heart. LEts say, North wins high and plays a low one to my queen.

I win in dummy and play the 3. diamond, discarding a club.

 

The position is now:

North: S

H J3

D

C??XX

Dummy Hand

S Qxx A T

H A9

D 87

C T A4

 

So I continue diamonds and all I loose are three trump tricks.

In reflection, I did not need the diamond finesse, but the same line had worked with diamonds 4-2. There are always just three hearts to lose.