Simple enough slam

[shevek]

[hv=pc=n&s=saqt53hkt763d74c4&n=s7haqj52dkq53ca62]133|200[/hv]

 

You reach 6♥/S (don't ask) on the helpful lead of ♦J - K - A - 4. Helpful in that you know straight away that you have just one diamond trick.

 

No oppostition bidding. They know you are 5-5-2-1 with ♠A & ♥K. East plays a club back to dummy's ace. You play ♠A and a spade ruff. Now what?

[Bbradley62]

I hope to cross-ruff the whole hand. I will need four ruffs in each hand; I cash ♥A so that if spades don't split 3-4 maybe either East will be short in both spades and hearts, or West is short in spades and I can over-ruff. So:

5) ♣A

6) ruff 3♣

7) ♦Q

8) ruff 6♣

9) ruff 5♠

 

If that holds, I have a high cross-ruff remaining.

Edited July 6, 2011 by Bbradley62

[Hanoi5]

♣-ruff, ♠-ruff. Am I making this slam if LHO holds 5 spades? I don't think so.

[aguahombre]

I don't see the problem if you dont think the spades will break badly....just heart to the ten and rough out the losing spades. So, Bradley's line is fine to allow for lefty being short in spades. Clubs are unlikely to be 7-2 around, with no competition.

[shevek]

[hv=pc=n&s=saqt53hkt763d74c4&w=skj986hdjt96ckqt5&n=s7haqj52dkq53ca62&e=s42h984da82cj9873]399|300[/hv]

 

Is there a case for the winning line?

 

Given that you only need 9 tricks from trumps, you can afford a high trump at some stage.

On the actual, cashing ♥A at trick 5 is fatal.

 

Has to be ♥K or 10 early on. That takes care of any 5-2 spade break but risks a diamond overruff.

When the 0-3 trump break is revealed, still need to be a bit careful, taking your low diamond ruff early before East gets a chance to pitch one.

 

I think it's a cute hand, admitting that taking a second low spade ruff may be percentage.

[gnasher]

After twick two, I'd play: club ruff, ♠A, spade ruff with the 5, ♦K, diamond ruff with the 6, spade ruff high, club ruff with the 7, spade ruff high, diamond ruff high, spade ruff high. I make three side-suit winners, five trumps in hand, and four ruffs in dummy.

 

That works unless LHO has led a doubleton, clubs are 2=7, or LHO is 2=3 in the black suits. I'm swapping the risk of a spade overruff for the risk of a diamond overruff, but diamonds 2=5 is less likely than spades 5=2, because with ♦Jx LHO might have chosen to lead something else.

[han]

Is there a case for the winning line?

 

It's not easy to compute the best line. I might go with the following:

 

After ruffing the spade, play a heart to the 10. If both follow, ruff a spade in dummy. If neither shows out you can play a heart to the king and claim. If one opponent shows out you can try the crossruff.

 

When RHO has all the hearts you can combine chances by first going to dummy in diamonds and ruffing a diamond. If RHO ruffs in you overruff and hope spades are 4-3. If RHO pitches or follows suit in diamonds you can crossruff fairly safely.

[han]

After twick two, I'd play: club ruff, ♠A, spade ruff with the 5, ♦K, diamond ruff with the 6, spade ruff high, club ruff with the 7, spade ruff high, diamond ruff high, spade ruff high. I make three side-suit winners, five trumps in hand, and four ruffs in dummy.

 

That works unless LHO has led a doubleton, clubs are 2=7, or LHO is 2=3 in the black suits. I'm swapping the risk of a spade overruff for the risk of a diamond overruff, but diamonds 2=5 is less likely than spades 5=2, because with ♦Jx LHO might have chosen to lead something else.

 

Yeah I thought about this, but I saw no reason for LHO not to lead a diamond from Jx. They know that we are 5521 so they'd probably lead a diamond very often.