hand from Bridge Bulletin

[rbforster]

Here's a sample hand from Larry Cohen's column in the month's Bridge Bulletin. This was intended to demonstrate good trump control technique - e.g. the below hand can be ensured against the 4-2 spade break by pitching two clubs on hearts (and potentially taking the 4th round heart tap in the short hand).

 

[hv=n=skq9hxxxdkxxc8xxx&w=s8xxxhqj9xxd9xcqx&e=sxxhakt8dxxxckt9x&s=sajt7hxdaqjtxcajx]399|300|4♠ by South

Q♥ lead, ♥ continued[/hv]

Can the hand still be made after ruffing the 2nd trick? Drawing 3 rounds of trump will fail since you'll lose control of the hand when trumps don't break and they ruff in and run hearts.

 

However, it seems like various complicated continuations might let the hand be made, at least double dummy, even after ruffing the 2nd heart trick. What do the experts think?

[shevek]

Ruff the second heart & play diamonds. If West pitches a club on the third, ♣A and cross ruff.

If West ruffs 3rd and plays a major, then easy. If he leads ♣Q, duck. If a small club, win and exit a small club, which is a bit deep.

[CSGibson]

I'm not the expert you're looking for, but Marty Bergen's suggested line of play is by far the best, I don't know why you'd look to do something else.

 

Let's say you ruff a 2nd heart, play 2 rounds of trump, then play on diamonds. I ruff the 3rd diamond, and play a trump. Down 1.

 

Ruff a 2nd heart, play 1 or 0 rounds of trump, and play diamonds. I think this makes four on this hand with a number of different permutations in the play possible, but it's still significantly worse, as it goes down when the hand with short diamonds also has short spades.

[rbforster]

Obviously the suggested line is best, but he says you'll go down on a 4-2 break and specifically gives these hands (which is incorrect).

 

There are lots of permutations based on how West defends, but one theme is that you draw 0-1 trumps before playing 3 rounds of diamonds (threatening to reverse dummy taking 2 ruffs in hand if hearts are continued). When West pitches, you draw the 2nd round of trump (keeping a higher one in dummy), to avoid ruffs by the East. If West keeps a club and ruffs either the 4th or 5th round, you can overruff, return to the A♣, and draw trump.

 

Now if West pitches 2 rounds of clubs on the run of the diamonds before ruffing the 5th one, you'll have your choice of either overruffing and taking the club hook, or discarding from dummy and endplaying West (into drawing your trumps and allowing the club hook or conceding a ruff and discard).