MP defense at Trick 2

[sathyab]

If I have to choose a default title for my posts that'd be it. You haven't blown this hand on the opening lead, so here's your chance.

 

[hv=d=s&v=e&n=sj76ha7dkj84cq642&w=skq2hjt2daq76cjt7]266|200|Scoring: MP

2h- all pass[/hv]

 

You lead the ♠K, partner plays the 8 as declarer follows suit with the 4. You're playing UDCA with the agreement that in this situation partner's spot card gives count in the suit as (hopefully) you know where the Ace is.

[zheddh]

I will stay passive and play Queen of spade and another.

[Fluffy]

if partner has ♥Kx and ♠Axxxx we need to play spades to promote a trump later, but wouldn't partner reopen with 2♠ then?

 

Partner is more likelly to have 3244 with a club honnore, and we need to get our club trick to set the contract.

 

We can play ♠Q to clarify though, so ♠Q to get count before playing ♣J.

[sathyab]

if partner has ♥Kx and ♠Axxxx we need to play spades to promote a trump later, but wouldn't partner reopen with 2♠ then?

 

Partner is more likelly to have 3244 with a club honnore, and we need to get our club trick to set the contract.

 

We can play ♠Q to clarify though, so ♠Q to get count before playing ♣J.

If partner has the ♥K, that leaves declarer with Qxxxxx for a weak2. And if partner has 3 ♠s that leaves declarer with a four-bagger. So he's preeempting 2♥ with xxxx Qxxxxx x Hx ?

[dellache]

Very interesting problem. I didnot take the time to analyze all possibilities but here is what I came up with for the time being.

 

East is probably marked with AT8xx, the only marginal cases being AT9*8* and South 5*4*3 and the very remote possibility of East having only Ax8 (that is statistically rare, and did South really open 2♥ with relatively bad Hearts and 46xx ? Unlikely).

 

That leaves South with 5 cards in the minor suits, and a high club honor (unless your pard failed to reopen with A AK and 5 Spades).

 

If South has a singleton Diamond, we'll be in a bad situation : a club Jack return will tell the whole story immediately. A neutral Spade+Spade is no better : South cashes his trumps and plays a Diamond up. Again our next play will tell the whole story.

 

When South has 2 diamonds exactly, a Club play may be essential in case East has the 9. If South has it OTOH we are stuck : south will take in Hand and the club suit will be frozen. He will then have time to play a Diamond to the Jack, and even if we guess to duck this, he can eliminate spades, and play another diamond. Enplayed again.

What happens if instead we cash the ♠King, the ♦Ace, and play another diamond ? It changes nothing if South has a singleton as we have seen. If South has a doubleton, the situation for declarer is tricky if he has xx KQxxxx xx Axx. Most declarer wil reject the finesse ! OTOH if he has xx KQxxxx xx Kxx, he may find out why I didnot play the "obvious" club, as the finesse is not that dangerous this time (but finessing also has dangers).

 

Of course, if South has xx KQxxxx 109xx A, Ace of diamond sets it.

 

I think that at the table I would probably Cash ♠Q, and play the agricultural ♣J, unless pard overtakes my ♠Q to request a Diamond ruff.

 

The only defense I won't consider is a 3rd round of Spades. I don't see any advantage in this.

 

Cheers,

[sathyab]

Very interesting problem. I didnot take the time to analyze all possibilities but here is what I came up with for the time being.

 

East is probably marked with AT8xx, the only marginal cases being AT9*8* and South 5*4*3 and the very remote possibility of East having only Ax8 (that is statistically rare, and did South really open 2♥ with relatively bad Hearts and 46xx ? Unlikely).

 

That leaves South with 5 cards in the minor suits, and a high club honor (unless your pard failed to reopen with A AK and 5 Spades).

 

If South has a singleton Diamond, we'll be in a bad situation : a club Jack return will tell the whole story immediately. A neutral Spade+Spade is no better : South cashes his trumps and plays a Diamond up. Again our next play will tell the whole story.

 

When South has 2 diamonds exactly, a Club play may be essential in case East has the 9.  If South has it OTOH we are stuck : south will take in Hand and the club suit will be frozen. He will then have time to play a Diamond to the Jack, and even if we guess to duck this, he can eliminate spades, and play another diamond. Enplayed again.

What happens if instead we cash the ♠King, the ♦Ace, and play another diamond ? It changes nothing if South has a singleton as we have seen. If South has a doubleton, the situation for declarer is tricky if he has xx KQxxxx xx Axx. Most declarer wil reject the finesse ! OTOH if he has xx KQxxxx xx Kxx, he may find out why I didnot play the "obvious" club, as the finesse is not that dangerous this time (but finessing also has dangers).

 

Of course, if South has xx KQxxxx 109xx A, Ace of diamond sets it.

 

I think that at the table I would probably Cash ♠Q, and play the agricultural ♣J, unless pard overtakes my ♠Q to request a Diamond ruff.

 

The only defense I won't consider is a 3rd round of Spades. I don't see any advantage in this.

 

Cheers,

Yes, it's an interesting problem in the sense that bread-n-butter MP hands are interesting. May not be anything terribly cerebral at the end perhaps, but just plain annoying until the hand is over :)

 

Let's assume that partner has 5♠s headed by the Ace and a ♣ honor. Anything more and he'd balance. Some would even balance with AT8xx xx xxx Axx. AT8xx xx xxxx Ax is probably closer to balancing than pass whereas AT8xx xx xxx Kxx or AT8xx xx xxxx Kx is most likely a pass.

 

I think there are two options for the defense: either shut out dummy's ♦ suit which is the only source of additional tricks for the declarer or play for a trump promotion.

 

In the first line of defense, we attack dummy's sure entry by shifting to a trump at T2. Declarer takes it in hand and plays the ♦T. Now you have a real headache. If declarer is 2=6=1=4, you have to fly with the Ace, cash your spades and declarer has to play ♣s on his own guessing who has Hx, as one discard won't help. But if he has two ♦s we have to cover and hope partner does tell us he has three ♦s. If you have been right in your ♦ play, declarer is stuck. If he plays a ♠ you can win and play back another trump and dummy's ♦s will have been silenced. If he plays a ♣ to get to his hand to play another ♦, now you can take the Ace, cash a ♠ and two ♣s. You are hoping for a lay-out like:

 

[hv=d=s&v=e&n=sj76ha7dkj84cq642&w=skq2hjt2daq76cjt7&e=sat853h43d932ca85&s=s94hkq9865dt5ck93]399|300|Scoring: MP[/hv]

 

I think playing for trump promotion doesn't work as long as declarer works on ♦s before pulling trumps, but I've not analyzed it as thoroughly.

 

Sadly though declarer had the ♦T9, so he makes nine tricks regardless :(

[dellache]

I think there are two options for the defense: either shut out dummy's ♦ suit which is the only source of additional tricks for the declarer or play for a trump promotion.

 

In the first line of defense, we attack dummy's sure entry by shifting to a trump at T2. Declarer takes it in hand and plays the ♦T. Now you have a real headache. If declarer is 2=6=1=4, you have to fly with the Ace, cash your spades and declarer has to play ♣s on his own guessing who has Hx, as one discard won't help. But if he has two ♦s we have to cover and hope partner does tell us he has three ♦s. If you have been right in your ♦ play, declarer is stuck. If he plays a ♠ you can win and play back another trump and dummy's ♦s will have been silenced. If he plays a ♣ to get to his hand to play another ♦, now you can take the Ace, cash a ♠ and two ♣s. You are hoping for a lay-out like:

 

Dealer: South Vul: E/W Scoring: MP

♠ J76 ♥ A7 ♦ KJ84 ♣ Q642 ♠ KQ2 ♥ JT2 ♦ AQ76 ♣ JT7 ♠ AT853 ♥ 43 ♦ 932 ♣ A85 ♠ 94 ♥ KQ9865 ♦ T5 ♣ K93

 

I think playing for trump promotion doesn't work as long as declarer works on ♦s before pulling trumps, but I've not analyzed it as thoroughly.

 

Sadly though declarer had the ♦T9, so he makes nine tricks regardless  :(

Nice hand indeed.

South's most probable distribution is 2=6=2=3 so your line has a lot of merit.