Butchered 4 card ending

[Lord Molyb]

[hv=pc=n&s=sahdacak&w=sq96h865dq94cqt32&n=sk32hkjt74djt8c96&e=sj8haq932dk75cj87]399|300[/hv]

The bidding went, nonvulnerable against vulnerable with north dealer:

P - P - 1♠ - P

2♠ - P - 3♦ - P

4♠ - AP

I'm south.

3 diamonds was a suit try, and since I was playing with GIB, they leaped to game.

The lead was the 5 of hearts. I played the jack from dummy, covered by the queen and ruffed.

I counted my tricks, even though that's generally a notrump thing, finding 4 spades, 2 clubs, and a diamond. I could attempt to ruff 2 clubs in dummy before drawing trumps and establish a heart, but it was likely I would be overruffed or uppercutted on the 4th club. There were also the diamonds to think about.

 

 

I played 2 rounds of trumps, ending in dummy. I then led the king of hearts, overtaken by the ace and ruffed in my hands. I played 2 rounds of clubs and ruffed a club, then I led the good heart from dummy and discarded a club.

I then led the jack of diamonds from dummy, east and I ducked and west won the queen. I've got 8 tricks in the bank and need two more.

Here is the 4 card ending, with west on lead:

[hv=pc=n&s=sthda63c&w=sqhd94cq&n=sh74dt8c&e=sh93dk7c]399|300[/hv]

Even if west cashes his two queens, he's endplayed on the diamonds, having to lead away from his 9, as long as I discard 2 hearts from dummy. It doesn't matter what east discards- even if he discards the king I still take 10 tricks.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, on the queen of clubs, I discarded a diamond from dummy, and west led a low diamond. I played dummy's 10 and east played low (since he discarded the king :P) and I couldn't overtake with the ace without the 9 of diamonds taking the last trick. Oh well.