Flat board?

[Simplicity]

[hv=d=s&v=n&n=st854haj98d7cakq8&s=sa962hkqt74d42c93]133|200|Scoring: MP

P-(P)-1♣-(3♦)

x-(P)-4♦-(P)

4♥-AP[/hv]

 

You play in 4♥ at MPs and west leads ♦A and switches to a trump ♥2

 

Hearts are 2-2

 

Plan the play, perhaps this should be in B/I forum?

[shyams]

I'd win trick 2 with the HK and cash the SA.

 

If spades are 3-2 with one player holding SKQ, everyone will make 11 tricks. But if someone has Kx, they will find it really hard to unblock at trick 3. Many good players will find the unblock in later play.

 

In addition, such a play benefits if one player has SQx and his partner makes a mistake.

[pooltuna]

I'd win trick 2 with the HK and cash the SA.

 

If spades are 3-2 with one player holding SKQ, everyone will make 11 tricks. But if someone has Kx, they will find it really hard to unblock at trick 3. Many good players will find the unblock in later play.

 

In addition, such a play benefits if one player has SQx and his partner makes a mistake.

Alternatively you could play for a ♣♠ squeeze and duck a ♠ with 3-1 trumps.

[Jlall]

I'd play for the squeeze, RHO is 1723 or 2272 almost always I think.

[dellache]

Duck spade, play for black squeeze.

Fails only in the unlikely cases where East has the long Spades (edit: or 1264)

[Jlall]

Duck spade, play for black squeeze.

Fails only in the unlikely cases where East has the long Spades (edit: or 1264)

I thought about 1264 but I think it can be heavily discounted because LHO would raise to 4D with 4 of them at w/r I think.

[Simplicity]

LHO was indeed 1273, so the squeeze came in no problem

[dellache]

Duck spade, play for black squeeze.

Fails only in the unlikely cases where East has the long Spades (edit: or 1264)

I thought about 1264 but I think it can be heavily discounted because LHO would raise to 4D with 4 of them at w/r I think.

You are absolutely right. This is a very remote case.