Triple fit slam

[OSH]

[hv=d=e&v=b&n=sk432ha962d5ckq86&s=saq87hqj83dcaj743]133|200|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

From Italian Trials for Mixed Teams.

Pairs contest, IMPs scoring.

East passes, South bids 2♥ (11-15 short ♦), North asks with 2NT, South bids 3NT (maximum with 4405). After RKC, you are playing in 6♥.

 

Lead: J♠

 

Thank you, good luck!

[Apollo81]

That lead seems an awful lot like a singleton. While ♠JT9x may look like a normal lead, LHO may not have wanted to let the "spade suit" cat out of the bag and may have opted for a trump or diamond lead.

 

As such, I'll win in dummy and cash the ♥A and lead a heart towards my hand, looking silly when RHO had a small singleton, but smart when RHO started with three to the ♥K and spades are 4-1.

[ArtK78]

The only thing that West knows about the opponents' hands is that declarer is 4405 and that dummy, with that information, put the hand in 6♥. There is no reason to jump to the conclusion that the ♠J lead is a singleton. It may very well be from JT9(x).

 

I am not going to give up on bringing in the trump suit for no losers just to cater to West being specifically 1-2 in the major suits. So, I win in hand and run the ♥Q.

[aguahombre]

West knows enough about Bridge and about 3-suited openings to pretty much automatically lead trump. He didn't do that, so screw the spade inferences. I go with the inference that he has the heart king.

[OSH]

The point in taking the ♥ finesse didn't occour to me at the table, but I think it's right.

[hv=n=sk432ha962d5ckq86&w=sj1096hk5dqj10762c2&e=s5h1074dak9843c1095&s=saq87hqj83dcaj743]399|300|[/hv]

The 2♥ opening stopped them to bid ♦s, but stopped them also to lead a ♦.

After the ♥ finesse, you have to decide what to do if:

1) the ♥Q takes the trick;

2) LHO covers the ♥Q with the K;

but, as the cards lie, we are only talking about a possible overtrick.