Rate a Slam #9

[inquiry]

[hv=d=n&v=n&n=sakth84dak542ca43&s=sqj943haq3dt8cj72]133|200|Scoring: XIMP

1♦-1♠

3♠-4♥

4N-5♦

5♥-6♠

Pass

 

[/hv]4NT = rkcb

5♦=1/4 key cards

5♥=spade Q?

6♠=spade Q, no side king

 

Opening lead ♥J

 

T1. ♥J-4-7-Q

T2. ?

 

Plan the play

[quiddity]

The best line I can find is: ace/king of spades, ace/king of diamonds, diamond ruff high. If diamonds are 3-3, draw the last two trump (overtake the T with the J) and claim: 5 spades, 2 hearts, 4 diamonds, 1 club.

If someone shows out: ace of hearts, heart ruff, diamond ruff high, draw the last trump, ace of clubs, diamond. 5 spades, 2 hearts, heart ruff, 3 diamonds, 1 club.

 

Very basic but I had to look at it for a while. The diamond position suggests a duck or a loser-on-loser but on this hand it results in the club entry getting knocked out early. I guess my pattern-matching software needs an upgrade.

[inquiry]

^^^^^ Yours is the winning line. The full hand was:

 

[hv=d=n&v=n&n=sakth84dak542ca43&w=s62hjt962dqj96ct6&e=s875hk75d73ckq985&s=sqj943haq3dt8cj72]399|300|Scoring: XIMP

1♦-1♠

3♠-4♥

4N-5♦

5♥-6♠

Pass

 

You have to go all the way through your analysis (diamonds not 3-3). [/hv]

 

At the time I posted this completion of the hand, this poll had 11 votes with a high of 3 and low of 1.5. The average was 2.318, for high intermediate. This is a bit higher than I would have suspected, but I think the community did a good job of evaluating this one.