Declarer play problem from Spingold semi final

[bluecalm]

[hv=pc=n&s=s876hj8dqj86cqjt8&n=skthak7542da4ca93&d=w&v=b&b=4&a=1ddp1np3hp3nppp]266|200[/hv]

 

1trick: Q♠, K♠, 4♠, 6♠.

 

Your move.

[rduran1216]

lose the spades first. pitch a heart on the 4th and pitch 2 hearts from dummy.

 

now what?

[rhm]

You are missing 15 HCP and if LHO has all of them he might have opened 1NT.

So RHO likely has an honor, and if it is a minor suit king the defense has 5 tricks (3 ♠ tricks, a ♥ and a minor suit king.)

Your best chance seems to me to play RHO for the ♥Q and play at trick 2 a small ♥ from the table.

If RHO goes in and they cash ♠, discard ♥s from he table, using your ♥J entry to take the ♣ finesse followed by the ♦ finesse. (Likewise if RHO does not go in and the ♥J holds)

That way you make the contract whenever RHO has the ♥queen even if ♥s do not break.

 

Rainer Herrmann

[whereagles]

Rainer's line is fine on paper, but in practice playing a spade right away might turn out better.

 

If LHO takes the last spade, he might be endplayed or pick the wrong suit to play subsequently. If it's RHO who clears spades, if he plays a minor I get a free trick and a tempo. If he plays a heart I transpose to Rainer's line.

[benlessard]

Why would you assume they hurry to cash all their spades if you exit spades at trick 2 ? LHO should know better and switch in the suit where hes got nothing if hes got both K you should always make the contract anyway since he wont have the Q of H. Low H to the J is better i think.

[whereagles]

What's the difference between switching at trick 3 or trick 5? A switch is a switch :)

[Hanoi5]

What's the difference between switching at trick 3 or trick 5? A switch is a switch :)

 

There's a concept called 'tempo'.

 

From the proposed lines I prefer the immediate heart.

[rduran1216]

well?