Nice play problem

[Finch]

[hv=d=s&v=g&n=sa532h1064dq63ck108&s=sk64hak8752dk4c42]133|200|Scoring: IMPs

1♥ 4♣ 4♥ all pass[/hv]

 

LHO leads the ace of clubs, on which RHO discards a diamond

LHO continues with the Queen of clubs, king, ruff

RHO returns the jack of spades.

You will discover that RHO started with QJ3 of hearts.

 

Assuming that LHO is 2=1=2=8 (which seems very likely), it is possible to make the contract as long as you know who has the ace of diamonds.

 

Warm up question: How do you make it if LHO has the DA?

Slightly trickier question: How do you make it if RHO has the DA? Bonus: What is the name of this end position?

Hardest question: What line do you take?

[Echognome]

Just thinking out loud here. Why didn't we duck the 2nd club?

[Finch]

Just thinking out loud here.  Why didn't we duck the 2nd club?

Because they would then play a third club?

 

If you like the play can start

 

Ace of clubs

Queen of clubs ducked, another diamond discard

Third club, ruffed on your right with the jack of hearts.

For reasons which may become clear later, you are now worse off than you were by playing the king on the second round.

[Echognome]

Just thinking out loud here.  Why didn't we duck the 2nd club?

Because they would then play a third club?

 

If you like the play can start

 

Ace of clubs

Queen of clubs ducked, another diamond discard

Third club, ruffed on your right with the jack of hearts.

For reasons which may become clear later, you are now worse off than you were by playing the king on the second round.

No we are not. We might be able to guess trumps now. Is RHO ruffing from QJx, Jxx, etc? We know RHO has the trump length. Also, RHO may not guess to trump high.

[han]

If LHO has the ace, win the spade in hand, pull trump and play a diamond to the queen. LHO must duck and you cash the spade, ruff a club and exit in diamonds.

 

If RHO has the ace, win the spade in hand and cash all but one trump, pitching two spades from dummy. RHO has to keep three diamonds (else exit with the diamond king) and a club and therefore must come down to a singleton spade. Cash the spade ace and play a diamond. It's called a squeeze without the count.

 

I don't know how to play the hand yet, but I do know that ducking the club is bad.

[Finch]

Just thinking out loud here.  Why didn't we duck the 2nd club?

Because they would then play a third club?

 

If you like the play can start

 

Ace of clubs

Queen of clubs ducked, another diamond discard

Third club, ruffed on your right with the jack of hearts.

For reasons which may become clear later, you are now worse off than you were by playing the king on the second round.

No we are not. We might be able to guess trumps now. Is RHO ruffing from QJx, Jxx, etc? We know RHO has the trump length. Also, RHO may not guess to trump high.

I don't understand where you are going with this.

 

In the original line, RHO ruffed your king of clubs, although luckily that has turned out to be with his trump trick.

 

In your revised line, RHO ruffs your king of clubs. You have to over-ruff immediately or you have four quick losers. If he ruffed low, you are in the same position as if you had played the CK on the second round, you have to hope that's from a trump trick, and then you have to find a 10th trick from somehwere. If he ruffed high, you now have to guess trumps in addition to all your other problems.

 

How can you possibly be better off directly by ducking at trick two?

 

The only other difference is that no-one has touched the spade suit yet. That might be an advantage, but you haven't said why.

[han]

You would be down immediately if RHO started with QJ9 of trumps instead of QJ3.

[Echognome]

That's what I get for answering without giving careful thought! I'm with you now. Apologies.

[hatchett]

I would play RHO for the ♦A.

(1) RHO has a lot more diamonds than LHO

(2) LHO may not have pre-empted with the ♦A, and if the ♠J is a true card than I think it's even more likely RHO has the ♦A.

[jdonn]

If RHO has the ace, win the spade in hand and cash all but one trump, pitching two spades from dummy. RHO has to keep three diamonds (else exit with the diamond king) and a club and therefore must come down to a singleton spade. Cash the spade ace and play a diamond. It's called a squeeze without the count.

I think you mean he keeps two spades, not a spade and a club. Then you play your last trump and he has to either pitch a spade (then AS, D) or pitch a diamond (then KD).

[Mosene]

Not looking at the responses yet:

 

1. Win King of spades in hand - AK of hearts. low diamond. Assuming it wins. Spade A, ruff club - exit diamond - forcing RHO to give a ruff and sluff. If LHO hops ace you still have heart 10 on board to pitch last spade.

 

2. Win King of spades. Run off all hearts. In hand XX of spades and Kx of diamonds. On board, A of spades, Qxx of diamonds. This caters to any 4 card holding with RHO I think. (if he holds exactly 2 diamonds - king of diamonds then diamond. If he holds 3 diamonds and 1 spade. Spade to A, diamonds up. If 3 spades, king of diamonds.

 

3. I would play for....RHO to have diamond ace. LHO might have bid 5 with the diamond ace.

 

Does that work?

[cherdano]

If RHO has the ace, win the spade in hand and cash all but one trump, pitching two spades from dummy. RHO has to keep three diamonds (else exit with the diamond king) and a club and therefore must come down to a singleton spade. Cash the spade ace and play a diamond. It's called a squeeze without the count.

One of us must be messing up directions, as I don't think RHO can keep a club after pitching at trick one...

 

Of course we can just cash all trumps, and come down to ♠xx ♦Kx opposite ♠A ♦Qxx, and RHO is squeezed without the count if he has ♦A.

 

I must be missing s.th. as it seems clear to me that RHO is more likely to hold ♦A.