Can you make it?

[Walddk]

[hv=d=w&v=b&n=sj10865h3dj10876cj5&w=sak3h105dkq43cak97&e=sq92hqj976d952c42&s=s74hak842dacq10863]399|300|Scoring: XIMP[/hv]

Only rarely do we have double dummy problems in the forums. Here is an interesting one from last night with Fulvio Fantoni involved. As West you are in a rather aggressive 3NT on this auction:

 

1♦ - 1♥

2N - 3♣*

3♦ - 3N

 

* checkback

 

North leads ♠J to your ace and you advance ♥10 at trick 2. Ducked as any competent defender would do. The question is now if you can make your contract legitimately.

 

In other words: do you want to declare or defend.

 

Roland

[jdonn]

In other words: do you want to declare or defend.

I want to declare 2NT. Call me lazy :(

[Fluffy]

I give up, I've tried squeezes and endplays, but there seems to always be an answer for the defence. Only thing I didn't try is a squeeze without rectifying the count, but I am awful at that.

 

So I want to defend.

[inquiry]

I don't see it... so i want to defend as well....

[matmat]

I want to declare :)

 

Edit:

but now that i've gibbed it, i want to defend.

 

[kenrexford]

I'll defend unless I had quite a long time to work on this.

 

That said, my inclination is that there is one key to the hand:

 

 

Declarer has the option of finessing in spades (small to nine or cover 10 with Queen) and then ditching his high spade in hand on the third round of hearts, establishing a position to throw North in to use the spades as a stepping-stone back to dummy.

 

On a small diamond, South errs by immediately firing back a club, as West can finesse, later force an honor split by South, and then throw South in with a heart for an endplay, it seems. South counters this by cashing a top heart before exiting with a club, but then West can use the spade-finesse throw-in if North ditches a diamond on the second heart. However, North can hold his diamonds to the end to counter this.

 

At this point my head started to ache, so I'll leave that tidbit and maybe come back.

 

[Edmunte1]

It seems defense wins. Probably the best play is: ♠A (eliminating South's exit card in spades), and diamond, but South can counterstrike by cashing ♥A (eliminating West's exit card in hearts) and small club. West has to play small, and now North will return ♠, breaking declarer's comunication. Now the end-play is no longer possible.

[zgrywus]

Hi all, my first post, don’t be too cruel.

What about the following line:

Trick 3 – A♠

Trick 4 – small ♦

E wins A♦ and must play a club, ducked by declarer (7)

W wins J♣, now his options are as follows:

1. Return club – E must play 10 or D, so S play last heart and W is endplayed

2. Switch to diamonds – S cash both KD, and exit with ♥, win D♣, enter dummy with ♠, and again endplay W♥

3. Continue spades – declarer win in dummy and play club, E must follow D or 10, now cash KD♦, and depends what E discard either play ♣ for drop or endplay E with ♥, for K9 – 10-8

[Simplicity]

Hi all, my first post, don’t be too cruel.

What about the following line:

Trick 3 – A♠

Trick 4 – small ♦

E wins A♦ and must play a club, ducked by declarer (7)

W wins J♣, now his options are as follows:

1. Return club – E must play 10 or D, so S play last heart and W is endplayed

2. Switch to diamonds – S cash both KD, and exit with ♥, win D♣, enter dummy with ♠, and again endplay W♥

3. Continue spades – declarer win in dummy and play club, E must follow D or 10, now cash KD♦, and depends what E discard either play ♣ for drop or endplay E with ♥, for K9 – 10-8

Its not a bad line except that when you put south in with the ♦A he can cash 1 top heart before exiting a low club to north who can then kill the spade entry to dummy before you have time to set up your endplay

[3ntok]

It is my first time in this forum so if I make any mistakes pls treat me well.

 

My answer for the question is to be defender.

 

W wins the 1st trick in ♥

 

We have 3 top ♥ 1♥so far 2 possible ♦ and 2♣ = 8 tricks.

 

 

We get the chance to get the extra trick by endlplaying S. In either ♣ or ♥

 

there is no possible squeezee anyway as there is just Q♠ our only communication.

 

Our hopes to Endplay S so we need to cache another ♠ and play ♦ to S's Ace.

 

However S can easily defend himself of being enplayed in ♣ simply caching his A♥ and eliminating crucial ♥ exit from our hand. now he can easily play ♣ to pd's J.

 

 

As propably everybody has noticed that when S is taking ♦ trick and holds himself

from taking A or K ♥ but playing ♣

 

the declarer ducks , takes ♦or♠ , land in the dummy, plays ♣

 

S must put Q10 ♣ , declarer wins the trick and plays ♥

 

S is helpless either ♥or♣trick must be given.

 

So my answer is I want to be S, as it is S that wins the whole prize

[zgrywus]

Hi all, my first post, don’t be too cruel.

What about the following line:

Trick 3 – A♠

Trick 4 – small ♦

E wins A♦ and must play a club, ducked by declarer (7)

W wins J♣, now his options are as follows:

1. Return club – E must play 10 or D, so S play last heart and W is endplayed

2. Switch to diamonds – S cash both KD, and exit with ♥, win D♣, enter dummy with ♠, and again endplay W♥

3. Continue spades – declarer win in dummy and play club, E must follow D or 10, now cash KD♦, and depends what E discard either play ♣ for drop or endplay E with ♥, for K9 – 10-8

Its not a bad line except that when you put south in with the ♦A he can cash 1 top heart before exiting a low club to north who can then kill the spade entry to dummy before you have time to set up your endplay

Oops, you're right - one down always. I've got an impression that being the defender I would "forget" to cash top heart most likely, that's why I still want to be declarer. Loosing against good defense isn't a shame and it makes me feel better for the rest of the match. (btw, what an idiot I am, all described and clarified on previous posts, should read them attentively).

[kenrexford]

One thing I am certain of -- I want to put that heart 10 back in my hand and start over with a diamond at trick two.

[pclayton]

One thing I am certain of -- I want to put that heart 10 back in my hand and start over with a diamond at trick two.

Thought about that, and I'm also thinking about some variations that involves a different heart play at T2.

[pclayton]

Probably worked on this one more than any other in the last 6 months.

 

I'm refusing to put this into a solver, but it seems there isn't a solution for declarer.