What now? And why?

[mikeh]

[hv=d=s&v=e&w=sakj9xxhk8xxdxcxx&s=sq10xxhj109xxdjxxcx]266|200|Scoring: IMP

you pass as dealer. LHO opens 1♠, partner bids 3♣, rho 3♦. LHO shows his hearts and rho blackwoods into 6N. You lead your ♣x, and declarer tops partner's 9 with the A. Trick 2 sees a spade to the K, followed by a heart to the A and a spade to the J, partner throwing the club K. Declarer exits a low spade to you, as both he and partner throw small clubs. Your play.[/hv]

[Jlall]

Yeah DJ.

 

I think if I play a heart declarer will win his queen, play another heart and run spades. I have to guard hearts partner has to guard clubs.

 

I don't have to play the diamond jack though lol. I was thinking I was gonna get squeezed in the reds but the HK is declarers only entry so I can just play small.

 

edit: Declarer has 2 spades not 1 lol (ty rogerclee). In that case the DJ Caters to RHO being 2254 with A AKQ in the reds.

 

Funny my first post was "without thinking about it DJ to break up a double squeeze" then I edited to low diamond and DJ are equal because RHO cant be 1255... then I edited again to DJ is better because partner can be 2254!

[Phil]

I don't have to play the diamond jack though lol. I was thinking I was gonna get squeezed in the reds but the HK is declarers only entry so I can just play small. Maybe I have to play the jack if declarer has AKQxx of diamonds though and partner has Txxx and declarer has Ax of hearts...but then he has 1255 which is impossible.

 

So jack and low are basically equal, I guess low caters to declarer having x AQx AKxxxxx Ax and somehow playing it this way.

He can't be 1255 because he played a 2nd spade.

 

I rather doubt RHO is xx Ax AKxxxxx Ax or xx AQx AKxxxx Ax because a much simpler line would be to concede a diamond to the long hand and take the spade finesse / major squeeze against me. Plus that gives pard KQJT-8th of clubs for a w/r 3♣ preempt. So that gives RHO 2=3 or 2=4 in the blacks.

 

The most likely shapes are 2=3=5=3 or 2=2=5=4.

 

Versus xx AQx AKxxx Axx we need to play any ♦ to break up a double but swap the red Q's and we need to switch to the J.

 

Versus xx Ax AKQ9x Axxx we need to switch to the J to break up the minor suit squeeze.

[Jlall]

I don't have to play the diamond jack though lol. I was thinking I was gonna get squeezed in the reds but the HK is declarers only entry so I can just play small. Maybe I have to play the jack if declarer has AKQxx of diamonds though and partner has Txxx and declarer has Ax of hearts...but then he has 1255 which is impossible.

 

So jack and low are basically equal, I guess low caters to declarer having x AQx AKxxxxx Ax and somehow playing it this way.

He can't be 1255 because he played a 2nd spade.

Yeah you caught me, roger warned me on AIM too :) For some reason I was thinking they had 1 spade so whether you played the DJ or low wouldn't matter. Should have stuck with my first answer :P The DJ should just stick out at you even if this is at the table. It's like it's screaming PLAY ME. This is probably because if the hand had been slightly different the DJ would be necessary for a different reason - to make partner guard diamonds rather than yourself so that you couldn't be squeezed in the reds. That is not the case here because declarer has to use the HK to run spades, but if he could magically start running them without using the HK it would be the case.

 

Anyways at the very least a diamond should stick out because the double squeeze is going to be automatic otherwise.

 

BTW welcome back I hope Mikeh, ♥ you in a very masculine way!

[gnasher]

I'm glad my diamonds are Jxx rather than Qxx. With the latter holding, if declarer has xx AQx AKxxx Axx, the diamond switch is essential; if he has xx Ax AKJ10x Axxx it's suicidal.

[Fluffy]

Find nothing left to say Grrrrr

[dellache]

If East has 7+♦ his play doesn't make sense.

If he has 6-♦, a ♦J return cannot cost, and will break any possible squeeze.

♦J.