Play 6Dx

[kgr]

[hv=pc=n&s=st943h4dkq83ck865&n=shaqt95dajt4caj73&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=p1sd3c(bergen%20raise%3B%204cS%3B%206-9)3d3h(4cH)4n(RKC%20D)d(penalty)p(1%20or%204%20of%205)p5c(D%20Q%3F)d(pen)5s(D%20Q%20and%201%20K)p6ddppp]266|200[/hv]

LHO leads ♠K. Opps are Computer programs and play udca; most of the time very honest.

♠K ♦4 ♠5 ♠3

You cross to ♣K and successfully finesse ♥Q.

♣3 ♣T ♣K ♣4

♥4 ♥8 ♥Q ♥6

♥A ♥7 ♣5 ♥2

When should you cash ♣A?

[Statto]

When should you cash ♣A?

Having embarked on this line, we are presumably hoping to bring the contract home on a cross-ruff. I would not cash ♣A until it was clear that I won't need the ♣ finesse if I need to change tack. However, I would have started by ruffing more ♠ earlier.

[nige1]

[hv=pc=n&s=st943h4dkq83ck865&n=shaqt95dajt4caj73&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=p1sd3c(bergen%20raise%3B%204cS%3B%206-9)3d3h(4cH)4n(RKC%20D)d(penalty)p(1%20or%204%20of%205)p5c(D%20Q%3F)d(pen)5s(D%20Q%20and%201%20K)p6ddppp]266|200| kgr writes "LHO leads ♠K. Opps are Computer programs and play udca; most of the time very honest.

♠K ♦4 ♠5 ♠3

♣3 ♣T ♣K ♣4

♥4 ♥8 ♥Q ♥6

♥A ♥7 ♣5 ♥2"

 

IMO you should continue: ruff a ♥, ♣ to ♣A (hoping that both follow), ruff a ♥ (hoping for a 4-3 break), lead a ♣ to [CL}J Now...

- If defenders return a trump, then draw trump (hoping that they break), ending in dummy, which is all winners..

- If defenders return anything else, then you claim on a high cross-ruff.

If all this works then congratulate partner on his bidding :) :) :) [/hv]

[kgr]

Having embarked on this line, we are presumably hoping to bring the contract home on a cross-ruff. I would not cash ♣A until it was clear that I won't need the ♣ finesse if I need to change tack.

East has the ♣Q, You will not need the ♣-finesse

However, I would have started by ruffing more ♠ earlier.

You come to your hand with ♣K and ruff a ♠. You can only come back to your hand with a ♥-ruff and not be able to finesse the ♥.

[kgr]

[hv=pc=n&s=st943h4dkq83ck865&n=shaqt95dajt4caj73&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=p1sd3c(bergen%20raise%3B%204cS%3B%206-9)3d3h(4cH)4n(RKC%20D)d(penalty)p(1%20or%204%20of%205)p5c(D%20Q%3F)d(pen)5s(D%20Q%20and%201%20K)p6ddppp]266|200| kgr writes "LHO leads ♠K. Opps are Computer programs and play udca; most of the time very honest.

♠K ♦4 ♠5 ♠3

♣3 ♣T ♣K ♣4

♥4 ♥8 ♥Q ♥6

♥A ♥7 ♣5 ♥2"

 

IMO you should continue: ruff a ♥, ♣ to ♣A (hoping that both follow), ruff a ♥ (hoping for a 4-3 break), lead a ♣ to [CL}J Now...

- If defenders return a trump, then draw trump (hoping that they break), ending in dummy, which is all winners..

- If defenders return anything else, then you claim on a high cross-ruff.

If all this works then congratulate partner on his bidding :) :) :) [/hv]

East started with ♥6 and then ♥7 (showing an even number - udca). West started with ♥8 and then ♥2 (showing an odd number - udca).

[nige1]

East started with ♥6 and then ♥7 (showing an even number - udca). West started with ♥8 and then ♥2 (showing an odd number - udca).

OK. If LHO has five ♠ and five ♥, I think you need him to hold singleton or doubleton ♣Q, too. I think I'd still try ♠ ruff, ♣A, finesse ♥Q. cash ♥A. and continue with a third ♥.

[nige1]

duplicate, sorry

[kgr]

OK. If LHO has five ♠ and five ♥, I think you need him to hold singleton or doubleton ♣Q, too. I think I'd still try ♠ ruff, ♣A, finesse ♥Q. cash ♥A. and continue with a third ♥.

Lho had small doubleton club

[nige1]

Lho had small doubleton club

If you believe defenders' signals then cashing both top ♣ early is a good idea and gives the defence a chance to go wrong :)

Unfortunately, however, a double-dummy program reveals that:

if LHO's shape is 5503 (or 5512 without ♣Q) then RHO can defeat you, by ruffing ♥ leads from dummy with middle ♦s :(

That is a hard defence to find, at the table, :)

But a cunning robot should be up for it :(

If declarer held ♦KQ86 then even a robot would succumb :)

[kgr]

Thanks a lot for your interest!

If you believe defenders' signals then cashing both top ♣ early is a good idea and gives the defence a chance to go wrong :)

Unfortunately, however, a double-dummy program reveals that:

if LHO's shape is 5503 (or 5512 without ♣Q) then RHO can defeat you, by ruffing ♥ leads from dummy with middle ♦s :(

That is a hard defence to find, at the table, :)

But a cunning robot should be up for it :(

If declarer held ♦KQ86 then even a robot would succumb :)

LHO is 5512 without ♣Q and the robot will ruff ♥ leads from dummy with middle ♦s if you cash both top ♣ early. (That is what I did).

But still you can win if you don't play the ♣A too soon.

If you start ruffing ♥ (RHO has to ruff with middle cards or you cash ♣A and cross ruff) and ♠. I come down to:

[hv=pc=n&s=st9hdk3c86&w=sQJxhKd7c9&n=shTdAJcAJ7&e=sA8hd62cQT]399|300[/hv]

Now you play to ♣A, ruff a ♥ and a ♣for RHO's Q.

I wondered if I should have found this. Cashing the ♣A early was certainly not good. I did that on the general principle to cash winners before starting a cross-ruff. I hoped to make my ♦3 as well. I still don't fully understand it :)

I wonder how easy this looks and how complex it is in reality :)

EDIT: If anyone could explain me how to reason to find the correct line at the table then that would make me happy :)

[nige1]

[hv=pc=n&s=st9hdk3c86&w=sQJxhKd7c9&n=shTdAJcAJ7&e=sA8hd62cQT]399|300|

KGR writes "Thanks a lot for your interest!

Now you play to ♣A, ruff a ♥ and a ♣for RHO's Q.

I wondered if I should have found this. Cashing the ♣A early was certainly not good. I did that on the general principle to cash winners before starting a cross-ruff. I hoped to make my ♦3 as well. I still don't fully understand it :)

I wonder how easy this looks and how complex it is in reality :)

If anyone could explain me how to reason to find the correct line at the table then that would make me happy :)

 

 

My pleasure. Thank you, KGR, for a fascinating problem and your accurate analysis

I went wrong when I swopped ♦Q and ♦A, to simplify the problem for the double-dummy program :(

Without computer help I suggested the first (unsuccessful) line,

So I would never find the winning line, at the table :(

[/hv]