IMP Play Problem

[ArtK78]

[hv=d=n&v=n&n=stxhqxxxxdaqxxxcj&s=saqj9xxxhxdxckxxx]133|200|Scoring: IMP

P - (P) - 4♠ - All Pass[/hv]

 

You are playing in a Sectional Swiss Teams. There are 10 teams in your flight (Open Flight) and you are playing a full round-robin - 9 six-board matches scored at IMPs converted to VPs (20 point scale). After 5 matches you are in second place, about 7 VPs behind a team that you lost to in the first round in a close match.

 

You get a low club lead to the dummy's J and RHO's A. RHO returns a low spade.

 

Plan the play.

[Fluffy]

am I missing something? we need diamond finese for any hope, and we can either ruff a club in dummy or try spade finese as the 10th trick. Club ruff seems obvious so ♠A, club ruff, heart

[kenrexford]

LHO has made what appears to be the lead of a club away from Queen-empty, which is a slightly odd lead. But, it might be away from garbage, as well, if RHO has the Ace and Queen both.

 

RHO continuing clubs seems somewhat unclear. Although the cut-down of ruffs seems good, if he doesn't have the diamond King, he might be concerned about winning some heart tricks before Declarer ditches them on diamonds. But, if you give RHO the diamond King, plus the club Ace, plus one of the top two hearts (LHO cannot have both), that's already 10 HCP, and he cannot have the spade King if he has all of these cards.

 

The non-switch to a heart convinces me that RHO has exactly what I think he has -- the diamond King, the club Ace, and the heart King. So, I'll pop the spade and play diamond to the Ace, diamond back (ruffing), and then ruff the club.

[ArtK78]

am I missing something? we need diamond finese for any hope, and we can either ruff a club in dummy or try spade finese as the 10th trick. Club ruff seems obvious so ♠A, club ruff, heart

There is an alternate play available. You can make 10 tricks without the diamond finesse by playing for Kx of spades onside. Finesse the spade by playing the Q or J from hand and, assuming the finesse wins, ruff a club. You can then exit a heart. The defense and prevent you from combining chances by letting LHO win the heart to play a diamond. You will now have to commit to either Kx of spades onside or K of diamonds onside.

 

Kx of spades onside gives you 10 tricks - 7 spades, ♣K, ♦A and a club ruff.

 

I agree with your line. Finessing the diamond is the superior play. My partner ran the spade return to dummy, successfully, played A and another diamond to get to his hand (the ♦K did not appear) and ruffed a club. He ruffed another diamond and laid down the ♠A, but the spades were 3-1. The ♦K was onside.

[ArtK78]

LHO has made what appears to be the lead of a club away from Queen-empty, which is a slightly odd lead. But, it might be away from garbage, as well, if RHO has the Ace and Queen both.

 

RHO continuing clubs seems somewhat unclear. Although the cut-down of ruffs seems good, if he doesn't have the diamond King, he might be concerned about winning some heart tricks before Declarer ditches them on diamonds. But, if you give RHO the diamond King, plus the club Ace, plus one of the top two hearts (LHO cannot have both), that's already 10 HCP, and he cannot have the spade King if he has all of these cards.

 

The non-switch to a heart convinces me that RHO has exactly what I think he has -- the diamond King, the club Ace, and the heart King. So, I'll pop the spade and play diamond to the Ace, diamond back (ruffing), and then ruff the club.

Ken:

 

Are you playing for RHO to have Kx of diamonds and a singleton spade? That seems to be the only way that your line can result in 10 tricks.

[ckane]

[deleted]

[hrothgar]

am I missing something? we need diamond finese for any hope, and we can either ruff a club in dummy or try spade finese as the 10th trick. Club ruff seems obvious so ♠A, club ruff, heart

If you need the Diamond finesse, why not take it immediately?

 

Win the Ace of Spades.

Hook the Queen of Diamonds

If this wins, you pitch a Heart on the Ace of Diamonds, then

 

ruff a Heart to hand

Cash the King of Clubs

Ruff a club

[jonottawa]

RHO passed, eh? So he doesn't have the ♠K AND the ♦K. (Else LHO has AK of ♥ and would have led them.)

 

Consequently, I like Fluffy's line, as 2 IMPs is 2 IMPs (which taking the ♦ hook right away will often cost you.)

[Fluffy]

I agree with your line. Finessing the diamond is the superior play. My partner ran the spade return to dummy

I forgot to post that it is not only diamond finese, ♠K stiff is an important alternative that your partner seems to totally dismiss.

[jdonn]

Obviously it's more likely to have a certain king onside than it is to in combination have a different king onside plus have a suit break a certain way. Plus going up on the spade catches singleton king offside. Combining all that, the diamond finesse is nearly 3 times better than the spade finesse.

 

That doesn't even count that RHO is a passed hand with the club ace and one of the top hearts, ruling out him having both kings which is one of the wins for the spade finesse. So the diamond finesse is, uh, quite clear.

[mikeh]

Obviously it's more likely to have a certain king onside than it is to in combination have a different king onside plus have a suit break a certain way. Plus going up on the spade catches singleton king offside. Combining all that, the diamond finesse is nearly 3 times better than the spade finesse.

 

That doesn't even count that RHO is a passed hand with the club ace and one of the top hearts, ruling out him having both kings which is one of the wins for the spade finesse. So the diamond finesse is, uh, quite clear.

this

[W Kovacs]

Is there something wrong with the following line:

 

♣K, ♣ ruff, ♦A, ♦ ruff to hand, ♣ ruff. If the ♠T is overruffed, you have 7 spades 2 clubs and a diamond. If not, you have 6+ spades 3 clubs and a diamond. This line fails in most 6-2 club breaks, and succeeds otherwise.

Yes. The spade lead at trick 2, which means you only get 1 club ruff.