Play problem.

[OleBerg]

Dummy:

 

♠ AK964

♥ AK98

♦ A

♣ 1074

 

Hand:

 

♠ Q1072

♥ 7

♦ QJ10865

♣ A2

 

LHO opens 1♥, partner doubles and RHO makes a preemptive raise to 2♥. The opponents respectfully watch you bid all the way to 6♠, and leads the ♣K.

 

You take it with the ace, but when you lead a small spade from hand, LHO ditches a heart.

 

Whats the plan?

[effervesce]

You cant ruff a club and two hearts, AND take the spade hook so that line is out. In any case RHO can win the 2nd club and return a trump. The ruffing finesse in diamonds seems to be a near-certainty to work, given LHO opened the bidding - he may have opened on a 9 count, but that's unlikely.

[helene_t]

♠AK, ♥A (club goes), ♦A, ♠ to the T. Then the ruffing finesse in diamonds. RHO is allowed to ruff a diamond.

 

Oh if RHO ruffs before I capture ♦A I am short of entries to the diamonds ...

 

I dunno.

[655321]

We can cope with Kxxx diamonds onside:

 

1. ♣A

2. ♠A

3. ♦A

4. Spade to hand, finessing.

5. ♦Q, club pitch

6. ♦J, club pitch, East ruffs.

 

Dummy can take care of a heart or a club return, so we still have the entries to set up and cash the diamonds. If West covers the 3rd diamond, ruff with the ♠K and draw trumps.

[OleBerg]

We can cope with Kxxx diamonds onside:

 

1. ♣A

2. ♠A

3. ♦A

4. Spade to hand, finessing.

5. ♦Q, club pitch

6. ♦J, club pitch, East ruffs.

 

Dummy can take care of a heart or a club return, so we still have the entries to set up and cash the diamonds.  If West covers the 3rd diamond, ruff with the ♠K and draw trumps.

Excactly. (You forgot to mention that we leave the master thrumph out, and just run diamonds, if the third round of diamonds is covered with the King.)

[655321]

We can cope with Kxxx diamonds onside:

 

1. ♣A

2. ♠A

3. ♦A

4. Spade to hand, finessing.

5. ♦Q, club pitch

6. ♦J, club pitch, East ruffs.

 

Dummy can take care of a heart or a club return, so we still have the entries to set up and cash the diamonds.  If West covers the 3rd diamond, ruff with the ♠K and draw trumps.

Excactly. (You forgot to mention that we leave the master thrumph out, and just run diamonds, if the third round of diamonds is covered with the King.)

No, I explained that after ruffing high we draw (all the) trumps. The trump pips are such that RHO, who began with J853, has no master trump.

But sure, if RHO had better pips, you would leave the master trump out while running the diamonds.