Last Hand

[gnasher]

This is a complex hand, but your line fails on a spade lead and, I think, on a club lead. You end up getting tapped and rho ruffs your diamond Q in the endgame.

 

There is a better line on a club lead, I think: top clubs, ruff a club, two rounds of diamonds, ducking to LHO's A... win the spade... lead the diamond Q... if LHO ruffs, you plan to do a cross-ruff to elope with your small trump, while ruffing a diamond in dummy.... 1 spade, 1 diamond, 2 clubs 5 trump in hand and a diamond ruff. If LHO pitches, then play another diamond... But I think a spade lead always beats it.... altho i have not studied it much further.

[in case anyone's lost track, we're talking about LHO's being 4126 with the red aces, on a black suit lead.]

 

Yes, you're right that I can't afford to be forced three times, having played hearts myself, because that lets RHO throw three diamonds away.

 

However, I don't see why your suggestion doesn't work on a spade lead: I can win the second spade, cash clubs throwing a spade, ruff a club (RHO pitches a diamond), diamond to the king, diamond to the ace, club (RHO pitches another diamond), ♦Q.

 

A stronger defence is for LHO to take ♦A on the first round, then play another club. The idea is that after unblocking the diamonds I'll have to force myself a third time, allowing East to throw yet another diamond. However, I can counter that by playing ♦K under the ace. The extra diamond winner is an illusion - as long as East hasn't thrown three diamonds away, I only need one diamond winner, because I can ruff the other two.

 

One more thing: after a diamond lead, I think you were going to survive your original plan of leading ♥Q at trick two. Say that LHO switches to a club. As long as you remember to cash ♣AK and ruff a club, you're OK: ♥K, ♦Q, ♠A, diamond ruff, club.