7NT of course

[jdonn]

[hv=n=skjxxhakxxdkqxxck&s=sathjt9daxxcaqj9x]133|200|[/hv]

 

You are south. Partner opens 1♦, you respond 2♣, then on a stupid quantitative auction in which partner naturally bids hearts then spades you end up declaring what looks to me like a reasonable 7NT. LHO leads the jack of diamonds, you have no good spots except the ones indicated. What's the best line?

[mikeh]

Win in dummy, unblock the club, cash two more diamonds, ending in hand, and cash two clubs. Pitch 2 hearts.

 

If the suit is running, and diamonds break 3-3, we claim.

 

If the suit is running and diamonds don't break, cash the heart AK and cross back in spades, and run the clubs, reducing to a 4 card ending with one club to play.

 

I think the squeeze chances are excellent at this point, provided you read the position and at worst you fall back on the spade hook....you will, by this time, probably have a fair idea of the shape around the table. And if diamonds broke or the heart Q dropped, you have 13 tops anyway.

 

If the clubs aren't running, we need a lot of luck..cash the hearts, and then back to the spade A then the last club winner and hope that either something good happened in the red suits or that LHO began with Qxxx in spades and couldn't hold the position....say began with Qxxx Qxx J109x xx.

[jonottawa]

I was thinking along the same lines as Mike but I didn't want to give up on ♥ if ♣ don't break. Assuming ♦ aren't 3-3, can't you pitch a ♠ on the first ♣ and then another ♠ if W shows out, and fall back on the ♥ Hook?

[jdonn]

I only mention it because it's unexpected (and was actually the case), what if diamonds are 2-4 over dummy? Since it kills so many of the squeezes does it change anyone's plan?

[mikeh]

I only mention it because it's unexpected (and was actually the case), what if diamonds are 2-4 over dummy? Since it kills so many of the squeezes does it change anyone's plan?

well, I wouldn't find that out until I crossed to my hand at trick 4. What does LHO pitch and how do clubs break?

 

Assuming clubs behave, I think I am still cashing 2 hearts and crossing in spades to run the clubs..the calculations differ according to how many clubs LHO has, and thus how many majors, but if he has the length in both majors, then he is going to be in trouble. In my dreams he is something like xxxxx Qxx xx 10xx and on the last club he has to come down to x Q void void and RHO started with Qx spades and I now drop it. Of course, if LHO has both Queens, he is toast and if the Queen of hearts is short, I have 13 tops anyway. Once LHO is short in diamonds, the odds of RHO having the Queen of spades are less than 50%, and my line, which may be ultimately hooking LHO in spades has to be significantly better than that, if clubs behave, just because of the heart chance and the chance of a show up squeeze.

 

I will get back to you (maybe) if clubs don't come in or LHO holds xxxxx in clubs :)

[jdonn]

Clubs are fine. Honestly I played something like you did and went down when LHO had xxx Qxxxx Jx xxx. I'm just wondering whether I should have figured out to make by taking the heart finesse or at least guessing spades one way or the other.

[Fluffy]

you should play ♥A to spot 6-0 break before diamonds, I am not sure if you can just pitch 4th diamond when they break 2-4 doesn't seem like a great menace when RHO is guarding it.

[jdonn]

you should play ♥A to spot 6-0 break before diamonds, I am not sure if you can just pitch 4th diamond when they break 2-4 doesn't seem like a great menace when RHO is guarding it.

5-1 break?

[bucky]

Clubs are fine. Honestly I played something like you did and went down when LHO had xxx Qxxxx Jx xxx. I'm just wondering whether I should have figured out to make by taking the heart finesse or at least guessing spades one way or the other.

Strange lead. I see nothing with your line. I think I would play DK, DQ, HA, DA to my hand. Upon finding the unexpected diamond break, I play 3 more clubs, pitching 1S, 1H, 1D. Finding that LHO started with 5 cards in the minors, the indication is that he should have length in majors. Then I cash ♥K to guard against RHO holding Qx while still retaining the chance to finesse LHO's ♠Q (or a show-up squeeze if LHO has 5323 shape and I can somehow read it right). Unfortunately this doesn't go well with 5-1 heart break, but I still have a last chance of finessing LHO's ♠Q, just that the chance is only about 3/7. Unlucky.

[benlessard]

cashing 3 round of D and play J of H like a despair shot not planning to finesse. Im losing equite when Txxxx in clubs but even pretty good players have been known to cover here.

 

(playing Clubs to see if they break first is a lot better than trying for J at trick 4)

[Fluffy]

you should play ♥A to spot 6-0 break before diamonds, I am not sure if you can just pitch 4th diamond when they break 2-4 doesn't seem like a great menace when RHO is guarding it.

5-1 break?

If you mean clubs 5-1 break note that mike is pitching a heart on the second one.

[jdonn]

you should play ♥A to spot 6-0 break before diamonds, I am not sure if you can just pitch 4th diamond when they break 2-4 doesn't seem like a great menace when RHO is guarding it.

5-1 break?

If you mean clubs 5-1 break note that mike is pitching a heart on the second one.

I mean hearts were 5-1 not 6-0.

[Fluffy]

yeah, I am not being resulting for once, I jsut noted that laying down ♥A before testing clubs was a small improvement over running clubs directly, at least if you are discarding dummy's hearts.