Interesting end position

[kenrexford]

I kibitzed a few deals while my wife was playing with the robots, and an interesting four-card ending developed, with the lead with North:

 

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I know that cards are missing. The remaining cards are two middle spades (beating the "x" in dummy), and the rest of the missing clubs, including the Ace and Queen. Howevefr, on the penultimate trick, LHO ditched the club 10.

 

LHO will have two other cards remaining. If he has another spade, then he has the only spade guard and had to hold both cards to avoid dummy's two spades being established on the play of the Ace. In that event, LHO has only one club remaining.

 

If the one club is a small club, then Declarer's best line is to cash the spade ace to lead the club Jack, winning thereby three of the last four tricks.

 

If the one club is the Ace, Declarer's best play is a club, ducking, saving the spade, and Declarer will win one club and one spade in the end.

 

If the one club is the Queen, Declarer's best play is the spade Ace and a club to the King, smothering the Queen and winning three tricks.

 

Back up. The small diamond was preserved as a threat card. Had LHO held the club Queen only, then he had to blank down to the stiff club Queen to protect spades AND to protect partner in the event that partner had the intermediate clubs. This diamond threat card, therefore, forces LHO to bare down to a blank diamond Queen, when he has the two spade cards.

 

If LHO has no club honor, the diamond save is also needed, but without any squeeze implications.

 

If LHO started with the club Ace, he has to bear down to the stiff Ace, even though he is not unhappy with that. But, that diamond card still forces the save, which is somewhat of a scissors squeeze to avoid the risk of cashing the diamond and then crossing to partner's Queen when Declarer guesses wrong.

 

If LHO had started with AQ in clubs and two spades, he could pitch the diamond, but then he ends up endplayed with spade-spade. If he saves the diamond, he must pitch the club Queen, which is awful.

 

If LHO only has one spade, he will always save the diamond, but he might have AQ, Ax, or Qx remaining in clubs. With AQ, he has no problems. With Ax or Qx, he hopes for a mis-guess, obviously, so that he can cash his diamond winner. However, the cards that Declarer has in clubs operates as a crocodile coup if Declarer opts to leave the spade on dummy, guesses clubs right, but then exits, as LHO has to win, cash a diamond, and give the spade back, or RHO overtakes the Queen but then sets up all the clubs.

 

I'm not sure what the best line is, in or out of context, nor do I care. I just found this ending interesting because of how much was going on in this ending and how a seemingly boring small diamond creates so much trouble.