Old hand from old book

[bluecalm]

[hv=pc=n&n=sk63h852dat7ca432&e=s4haqjt76dqjcjt97&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=2hdp3hp4np5hp6sppp]266|200[/hv]

 

8♣, 2♣, 9♣, K♣

 

Now declarer runs 3 round of spades ending in dummy, partner following 3 times, plan your defense !

 

I really like it. Title of the book and solution later.

[MrAce]

What does declarer play after 3 rounds of ♠ from dummy ? I assume you are asking what do we do when he plays a ♥ from dummy since we pretty much just following the cards if he plays anything else.

 

I think pd led ♣8 from 8xx and he doesnt have a ♥ to lead, making declarer something like (dont ask me why he bid like that, i never understood why they bid the way they did in old books)

 

AQJxxx

Kxxx

x

KQ

 

if thats the case, i think we need to jump the ♥ A and rectify the count as oppose to trying not rectify it ? or we will have to discard ♦ QJ and he can finesse pd for 12th trick ?

 

I doubt thats the solution tho, that looks too simple. I will think more about it later ...

[bluecalm]

I think pd led ♣8 from 8xx and he doesnt have a ♥ to lead, making declarer something like (dont ask me why he bid like that, i never understood why they bid the way they did in old books)

 

NS were very good players and while the hand is old and bidding might be strange by today standards it's not reckless. You can assume that 8 is singleton 100% of the time. As otherwise partner would have either 3-0-7-3 which is unlikely given the bidding or 8card diamond suit which is even more unlikely.

[gnasher]

The most likely explanation for the lead is that partner has a singleton club, giving declarer AQJxxx Kx x KQxx. If we take ♥A and play a second heart or a diamond, we get squeezed in hearts and clubs, declarer coming down to ♣Qxx opposite ♥x ♣Ax. We can try to break it up by playing a second club, but declarer plays a criss-cross instead, coming down to ♥K ♣xx opposite ♥xx ♣A.

 

I think we have to duck the first heart, hoping partner has the 9, then unblock when declarer runs his trumps. In this ending

[hv=pc=n&s=s2h4d2cq65&w=sh9dk7654c&n=sh85datca2&e=sha6dqcjt7]399|300[/hv]

declarer can't do anything to us - if he plays ♦A, diamond ruff, I throw ♥A, keeping an entry to partner's diamond winners. I hope we play upside-down signals.

[MrAce]

The most likely explanation for the lead is that partner has a singleton club, giving declarer AQJxxx Kx x KQxx. If we take ♥A and play a second heart or a diamond, we get squeezed in hearts and clubs, declarer coming down to ♣Qxx opposite ♥x ♣Ax. We can try to break it up by playing a second club, but declarer plays a criss-cross instead, coming down to ♥K ♣xx opposite ♥xx ♣A.

 

I think we have to duck the first heart, hoping partner has the 9, then unblock when declarer runs his trumps. In this ending

[hv=pc=n&s=s2h4d2cq65&w=sh9dk7654c&n=sh85datca2&e=sha6dqcjt7]399|300[/hv]

declarer can't do anything to us - if he plays ♦A, diamond ruff, I throw ♥A, keeping an entry to partner's diamond winners. I hope we play upside-down signals.

 

I dont think this is true, i think he can squeeze you if u duck the ♥ or not, i dont know how we defeat this if thats the case tbh. Double dummy of course.

 

He cashes last trump discarding ♦ from dummy, u have to discard a ♦ too, and he simply plays ♥ from hand now, if u overtake pd's 9 he makes, if not u get squeezed on pd's exit ♦ :P

[gnasher]

Yes, you're right.

[JLOGIC]

Yeah this seems cold.

[bluecalm]

He cashes last trump discarding ♦ from dummy, u have to discard a ♦ too, and he simply plays ♥ from hand now, if u overtake pd's 9 he makes, if not u get squeezed on pd's exit ♦

 

He has to guess where 9♥ is as that line of play will lead to quick down 1 vs A9 on the right.

 

That's the solution btw. Allegedly one of the Blue Team members played that way and declarer didn't guess.

The book is "Bridge with Blue Team" and it has many beautiful hands. I wonder if they really played that well or if there is some fiction added to make them look like heroes ;)