3NTx play or defend

[xcurt]

How good an analyst are you?

 

[hv=d=n&v=e&n=saj97h942dakq982c&w=sqt863hkj765dca98&e=s54h8djt75ckjt765&s=sk2haqt3d643cq432]399|300|Scoring: XIMP

1♦-P-1♥-1♠

Dbl*-2♣-P-3♣

3♦-P-3NT-Dbl

P-P-P

 

*heart support[/hv]

 

(BBO cross-IMPS, rotated to make South declarer)

 

Feel free to criticize the auction. I was West.

 

West led the C8. Do you take the declarer or the defenders and why?

[MarkDean]

I'll defend, and play the ten of clubs as East.

[Guest Jlall]

I'll defend, and play the ten of clubs as East.

Your answer is right, but I wonder given your answer if you thought this through fully (in other words what is the rest of your plan).

[jtfanclub]

I'll defend, and play the ten of clubs as East.

Hmmm...I'll bite. I'll be declarer, and I'll duck. If you next lead another club, I'll duck again.

[Guest Jlall]

I'll defend, and play the ten of clubs as East.

Hmmm...I'll bite. I'll be declarer, and I'll duck. If you next lead another club, I'll duck again.

and if they don't return a club?

[jtfanclub]

I'll defend, and play the ten of clubs as East.

Hmmm...I'll bite. I'll be declarer, and I'll duck. If you next lead another club, I'll duck again.

and if they don't return a club?

Then I'll duck in hand, and win on the board if possible.

[inquiry]

Double dummy i would want to defend. In the real world, the right defense is not "automatic" and many will make 3NT.

[Codo]

In the real world, the game plan in 3 NT could be something like: a Club, A heart 2 Spades and 6 Diamonds so win the queen at once, cash 6 diamonds oopps, too late.

So in the real world, I want to defend.

 

Double Dummy I want to defend too. I will start with a club to the Ten, A club to the nine, ace of club. Dummy let go two diamonds and a heart? I play a spade and see no way how declarer should take nine tricks.

[Guest Jlall]

In the real world, the game plan in 3 NT could be something like: a Club, A heart 2 Spades and 6 Diamonds so win the queen at once, cash 6 diamonds oopps, too late.

So in the real world, I want to defend.

 

Double Dummy I want to defend too. I will start with a club to the Ten, A club to the nine, ace of club. Dummy let go two diamonds and a heart? I play a spade and see no way how declarer should take nine tricks.

I was hoping someone would say this since this is the interesting variation of the hand.

 

I will try not to spoil it, but here is a hint (north is on lead and has lost the first 3 tricks):

 

[hv=n=sajh9xdkq9c&w=sqtxhkjxxdc&e=shxdjtxckxx&s=shaqtxdxxcq]399|300|[/hv]

[zasanya]

In the real world, the game plan in 3 NT could be something like: a Club, A heart 2 Spades and 6 Diamonds so win the queen at once, cash 6 diamonds oopps, too late.

So in the real world, I want to defend.

 

Double Dummy I want to defend too. I will start with a club to the Ten, A club to the nine, ace of club. Dummy let go two diamonds and a heart? I play a spade and see no way how declarer should take nine tricks.

Win in dummy ; unblock ♠ K;Play ♥ to 9 ensuring 5 tricks in Majors and forcing LHO to rectify the count for Squeezing RHO in minors?

[Guest Jlall]

In the real world, the game plan in 3 NT could be something like: a Club, A heart 2 Spades and 6 Diamonds so win the queen at once, cash 6 diamonds oopps, too late.

So in the real world, I want to defend.

 

Double Dummy I want to defend too. I will start with a club to the Ten, A club to the nine, ace of club. Dummy let go two diamonds and a heart? I play a spade and see no way how declarer should take nine tricks.

Win in dummy ; unblock ♠ K;Play ♥ to 9 ensuring 5 tricks in Majors and forcing LHO to rectify the count for Squeezing RHO in minors?

This exact plan does not work since you had to pitch a heart from dummy, so if you lead a heart to the 9 they can return a heart and break up your entry to hand. You need to squeeze west first with 2 rounds of diamonds.

[zasanya]

In the real world, the game plan in 3 NT could be something like: a Club, A heart 2 Spades and 6 Diamonds so win the queen at once, cash 6 diamonds oopps, too late.

So in the real world, I want to defend.

 

Double Dummy I want to defend too. I will start with a club to the Ten, A club to the nine, ace of club. Dummy let go two diamonds and a heart? I play a spade and see no way how declarer should take nine tricks.

Win in dummy ; unblock ♠ K;Play ♥ to 9 ensuring 5 tricks in Majors and forcing LHO to rectify the count for Squeezing RHO in minors?

This exact plan does not work since you had to pitch a heart from dummy, so if you lead a heart to the 9 they can return a heart and break up your entry to hand. You need to squeeze west first with 2 rounds of diamonds.

Didnt realize that.Thank you Sir.In an earlier post you have mentioned not returning ♣.What happens then?

[cnszsun]

In the real world, the game plan in 3 NT could be something like: a Club, A heart 2 Spades and 6 Diamonds so win the queen at once, cash 6 diamonds oopps, too late.

So in the real world, I want to defend.

 

Double Dummy I want to defend too. I will start with a club to the Ten, A club to the nine, ace of club. Dummy let go two diamonds and a heart? I play a spade and see no way how declarer should take nine tricks.

Win in dummy ; unblock ♠ K;Play ♥ to 9 ensuring 5 tricks in Majors and forcing LHO to rectify the count for Squeezing RHO in minors?

This exact plan does not work since you had to pitch a heart from dummy, so if you lead a heart to the 9 they can return a heart and break up your entry to hand. You need to squeeze west first with 2 rounds of diamonds.

Didnt realize that.Thank you Sir.In an earlier post you have mentioned not returning ♣.What happens then?

East could overtake 1st ♣ with 10 and return ♥. Declarer had no way to make now?

[Guest Jlall]

In the real world, the game plan in 3 NT could be something like: a Club, A heart 2 Spades and 6 Diamonds so win the queen at once, cash 6 diamonds oopps, too late.

So in the real world, I want to defend.

 

Double Dummy I want to defend too. I will start with a club to the Ten, A club to the nine, ace of club. Dummy let go two diamonds and a heart? I play a spade and see no way how declarer should take nine tricks.

Win in dummy ; unblock ♠ K;Play ♥ to 9 ensuring 5 tricks in Majors and forcing LHO to rectify the count for Squeezing RHO in minors?

This exact plan does not work since you had to pitch a heart from dummy, so if you lead a heart to the 9 they can return a heart and break up your entry to hand. You need to squeeze west first with 2 rounds of diamonds.

Didnt realize that.Thank you Sir.In an earlier post you have mentioned not returning ♣.What happens then?

East could overtake 1st ♣ with 10 and return ♥. Declarer had no way to make now?

Yep, that's correct.

[jtfanclub]

Yep, that's correct.

What I get for going to bed at a reasonable hour. I did see how to make it after three rounds of clubs, and was hoping they'd try that way.

 

So, West wins trick 2 with the heart jack, now what?

 

Let's say he continues with a spade. Win cheaply on the board, spade to hand, and a small club, sluffing a second diamond. What happens?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Or let's say they play two more rounds of clubs and return a spade. Win cheaply, spade to hand, take the queen of clubs, run three diamonds.

 

So at this point, 1 heart, 2 spades, 4 clubs, and 3 diamonds have been played.

 

[hv=n=sajh9dqc&w=sqthk7dc&e=shdjtcj7&s=shaqtd6c]399|300|[/hv]

 

On the last diamond, West is sqeezed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So the solution is what, after the heart, play the ace of clubs, then exit a spade?

[nige1]

[hv=d=n&v=e&n=saj97h942dakq982 ♣  

♠	qt863
♥	kj765
♦	[space]ca98

♠	54
♥	8
♦	jt75
♣	kjt765

♠	k2
♥	aqt3
♦	643
♣	q432

(bbo cross-imps, rotated to make south declarer)

how good an analyst are you?

1♦-p-1♥-1♠

dbl*-2♣-p-3♣

3♦-p-3nt-dbl

p-p-p

*heart support

feel free to criticize the auction.  i was west.

west led the c8.  do you take the declarer or the defenders and why?

thank you xcurt. beautiful deal. single dummy, i'd never find any of ...

• east's ♣t at trick 1.
  
• south's duck if east did play ♣t.
  
• east's ♥ switch at trick 2.
  
• even if east failed to find the ♥ switch, but instead continued ♣ i'd still fail. i wouldn't realise the need to cash one ♦ in the position below, to execute jlall's pretty preliminary immaterial squeeze.
  

dealer: ????? vul: ???? scoring: unknown

♠ aj ♥ 9x ♦ kq9 ♣ &w=sqtxhkjxxdc&e=shxdjtxckxx&s=shaqtxdxxcq]399|300|Scoring: XIMP[/hv]

[MarkDean]

In the real world, the game plan in 3 NT could be something like: a Club, A heart 2 Spades and 6 Diamonds so win the queen at once, cash 6 diamonds oopps, too late.

So in the real world, I want to defend.

 

Double Dummy I want to defend too. I will start with a club to the Ten, A club to the nine, ace of club. Dummy let go two diamonds and a heart? I play a spade and see no way how declarer should take nine tricks.

Win in dummy ; unblock ♠ K;Play ♥ to 9 ensuring 5 tricks in Majors and forcing LHO to rectify the count for Squeezing RHO in minors?

This exact plan does not work since you had to pitch a heart from dummy, so if you lead a heart to the 9 they can return a heart and break up your entry to hand. You need to squeeze west first with 2 rounds of diamonds.

I am a bit confused by your suggested line. Are you suggesting playing two diamonds from dummy in the diagram you posted? That ruins entry to dummy, so how is this squeeze going to work?

[655321]

In the real world, the game plan in 3 NT could be something like: a Club, A heart 2 Spades and 6 Diamonds so win the queen at once, cash 6 diamonds oopps, too late.

So in the real world, I want to defend.

 

Double Dummy I want to defend too. I will start with a club to the Ten, A club to the nine, ace of club. Dummy let go two diamonds and a heart? I play a spade and see no way how declarer should take nine tricks.

Win in dummy ; unblock ♠ K;Play ♥ to 9 ensuring 5 tricks in Majors and forcing LHO to rectify the count for Squeezing RHO in minors?

This exact plan does not work since you had to pitch a heart from dummy, so if you lead a heart to the 9 they can return a heart and break up your entry to hand. You need to squeeze west first with 2 rounds of diamonds.

I am a bit confused by your suggested line. Are you suggesting playing two diamonds from dummy in the diagram you posted? That ruins entry to dummy, so how is this squeeze going to work?

One diamond from dummy in the posted position (making 2 diamonds in total)

[gnasher]

So, West wins trick 2 with the heart jack, now what? 

 

Let's say he continues with a spade. Win cheaply on the board, spade to hand, and a small club, sluffing a second diamond.  What happens?

East wins (obviously West can't) and plays ♦J. West is ripe for an endplay, but declarer is stuck in the wrong hand.

 

So the solution is what, after the heart, play the ace of clubs, then exit a spade?

That is also sufficient.

[xcurt]

Thank you XCURT. Beautiful deal. Single dummy, I'd never find any of ...

• 
   
  
• East's ♣T at trick 1.
   
  
• South's duck if East did play ♣T.
   
  
• East's ♥ switch at trick 2.
   
  
• Even if East failed to find the ♥ switch, but instead continued ♣ I'd still fail. I wouldn't realise the need to cash one ♦ in the position below, to execute JLall's pretty preliminary immaterial squeeze.
   
  

 

Most welcome... and thanks to Justin especially for a nice summary of the key variations. Yes the defenders should prevail. We didn't come close; CK at T1 and a low club back.