How would you play this thin game?

[GaryFisch]

[hv=n=saq65hj876dk7c1076&s=sj10haq3daq83ck985]133|200|[/hv]

 

The scoring is IMPs, EW Vulnerable. And maybe it's not so thin.

 

After 3 passes, I opened 1NT, and partner responded 3NT, ending the auction.

 

West led the diamond 4.

[GaryFisch]

Well, ok, since nobody jumped in so far ...

 

I don't think I played it best. I won in dummy and led a heart to the Q, cashed the ♥A, and played another ♥, the suit breaking. I won the diamond return and led the ♠J. East took the K and returned a diamond. I won, crossed to dummy in spades, cashed the long heart, and played a club up to the K, hoping for East to be endplayed. No soup for me! West took the A and the defense cashed the long diamond and ♣Q. Down one.

 

I think the best line is to win in dummy and play the ♣10. This requires both Q and J onside, but it's the best shot I see. Note that if East plays low and West takes the A and returns a diamond, it gets complicated. It's between playing on spades to get to dummy to lead a club up to the K98, or cashing the ♣K and playing for ♣3-3. The former succeeds if West has Ax and East has ♥K, but you'll have to guess the ♠K. But then, my play required ♥K and either ♠K or ♣A onside, plus hearts had to be 3-3 or East had to have started with K10 or K9.

 

Several pairs did make 3NT, and I suspect East covered the ♣10 in those cases. The full deal:[hv=d=w&v=e&n=saq65hj876dk7c1076&w=s983h1095dj964ca32&e=sk742hk42d1052cqj4&s=sj10haq3daq83ck985]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

[655321]

...

 

Well, ok, since nobody jumped in so far ...

 

Patience! B)

[Finch]

...

 

Well, ok, since nobody jumped in so far ...

 

Patience! :)

If you actually want useful comments from people on the single dummy problem, you'll have to wait slightly longer than 1 hr 20 minutes after posting... particularly as you are likely to be posting during someone's night (original posting was at 3.28 am my time).

[Finch]

I suspect I would have won the opening lead in hand (establishing a diamond tenace) and run the jack of spades. If the SK is onside this gives me three spade tricks while I still have an entry to dummy.

 

It's possibly East will duck this, but if he wins and plays a diamond back I win in dummy and guess what to do.

 

Unfortunately you've given us the full hand, on a diamond return won in dummy you have to guess what to do next. Certainly a winning option is to run the C10 next, but I'd have to think longer about what's right.

[pclayton]

I read this in the car earlier and I do agree with pushing the ♣10 at T2. You will frequently get a cover from Qxx / Jxx and you might even get RHO to rise from many Ace holdings to clear diamonds.

 

When its time to play spades, I suggest the 10 and not the Jack. You don't LHO to grow a brain and cover which might block the suit. It's a little more complicated than that, but overall the 10 is better I think.

 

There will be some decisions later on this hand. It's fairly complicated since you have decisions in three suits and they all seem co-dependent.

[nige1]

[hv=d=w&v=e&n=saq65hj876dk7c1076&w=s983h1095dj964ca32&e=sk742hk42d1052cqj4&s=sj10haq3daq83ck985]399|300|Scoring: IMP

Well, After 3 passes, I opened 1NT, and partner responded 3NT, ending the auction.

West led the diamond 4.

 

I don't think I played it best.  I won in dummy and led a heart to the Q, cashed the ♥A, and played another ♥, the suit breaking.  I won the diamond return and led the ♠J.  East took the K and returned a diamond.  I won, crossed to dummy in spades, cashed the long heart, and played a club up to the K, hoping for East to be endplayed.  No soup for me!  West took the A and the defense cashed the long diamond and ♣Q.  Down one.

 

I think the best line is to win in dummy and play the ♣10.  This requires both Q and J onside, but it's the best shot I see.  Note that if East plays low and West takes the A and returns a diamond, it gets complicated.  It's between playing on spades to get to dummy to lead a club up to the K98, or cashing the ♣K and playing for ♣3-3.  The former succeeds if West has Ax and East has ♥K, but you'll have to guess the ♠K.  But then, my play required ♥K and either ♠K or ♣A onside, plus hearts had to be 3-3 or East had to have started with K10 or K9.

 

Several pairs did make 3NT, and I suspect East covered the ♣10 in those cases.  The full deal:[/hv]

I've no idea what is the right line. But playing on ♣ does attack LHO's entries and may work if either quack is onside.

As the cards lie, finessing ♣9 works well.

• If RHO splits and LHO wins, ♣107 allow you to force a re-entry to dummy.
  
• If RHO splits and LHO ducks (or both duck) you can come to 2 ♠, 3 ♥, 3♦, and 1♣
  

[han]

I suspect I would have won the opening lead in hand (establishing a diamond tenace) and run the jack of spades.

Ditto.

[inquiry]

I go with Frances and Han's line. No one has asked, but why did north with 4-4 in the majors jump to 3NT? Is this systemic? Is stayman really such an odd bid? Did 1NT deny a four card major? Inquiry'ing minds want to know.

[Halo]

I differ from the majority.

 

I would definitely win the diamond King and finesse hearts immediately. If it wins then spade ten. If it's covered, duck and take it from there.

 

It feels to me that the immediate heart finesse outweighs the creation of a diamond tenace - but as Nige1 says, who knows.

[Echognome]

I suspect I would have won the opening lead in hand (establishing a diamond tenace) and run the jack of spades. If the SK is onside this gives me three spade tricks while I still have an entry to dummy.

 

It's possibly East will duck this, but if he wins and plays a diamond back I win in dummy and guess what to do.

 

Unfortunately you've given us the full hand, on a diamond return won in dummy you have to guess what to do next. Certainly a winning option is to run the C10 next, but I'd have to think longer about what's right.

I'm confused by what diamond tenace you and Han mean. We have the stiff ♦K left in dummy if we play low. Since we are missing the JT9 we don't really gain anything unless we think west lead low from that or lead low from JT4, J94, or T94. All those seem impossible. I'm not saying that we shouldn't win in hand. I'm just trying to understand that you mean by a tenace.

[GaryFisch]

Well thanks for the interesting responses! And yes, I did lack patience.

 

I have no idea why North didn't use Stayman. It probably wouldn't have changed anything.

 

Frances already mentioned the problem with winning in hand to lead a spade. After East wins and returns a diamond, spades are blocked, and the defense is one step closer to establishing their diamond winner.

 

Now that I've had some more time to think about it, I still think ♦K and a club is best because clubs will take the longest to set up, and you can always take a spade or heart finesse. I like the ♣10 best, because you can repeat if everybody plays low. If the 10 is covered with a quack, you can already establish 2 club winners by playing clubs from hand next round.

 

If West takes this trick with a quack and returns a diamond, my next play is the ♥Q. Perhaps a defender has Kx and has to take this, or perhaps one will err by taking the K from Kxx. If the ♥Q is covered, I win the diamond return and try the spade finesse, having the heart entry to untangle the spades. I still need either ♥3-3 or the ♣A onside. If the ♥Q isn't covered, I continue with the A. When the K doesn't drop, I take the ♠ finesse. If this fails, I am going down as long as East holds up one round.

 

Taking the heart finesse followed by a spade is intriguing, but you are still likely to need at least one club, so why not play that suit right away, especially since you can establish a second heart by playing from hand?

 

Maybe it's not so thin a game after all.

[Halo]

Taking the heart finesse followed by a spade is intriguing, but you are still likely to need at least one club, so why not play that suit right away, especially since you can establish a second heart by playing from hand?

You need some help, from Lady Luck or opponents.

 

I think playing the club is technical and puts all your hopes on luck. The heart finesse and spade is no better, but just imagine the position of the defender when he wins the spade.