Decent slam

[gnasher]

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IMPs

After an artificial auction you reach a good slam. LHO leads ♦Q and RHO plays the 7, which is probably standard count. Plan the play.

[Antrax]

Posting to not forget to check what's wrong with the crossruff line.

[ggwhiz]

Posting to not forget to check what's wrong with the crossruff line.

 

I would ruff 2 spades crossing in diamonds and if all follow, draw trump and give them one. If the spades are 5-2 I have some chances even with an overruff, by holding the club finesse in reserve but if hearts are 4-1 I'm toast.

[mikeh]

I win in dummy, cross to hand in clubs and advance the spade J, winning if covered, floating it otherwise.

 

Playing spade A and ruff a spade requires that spades be 43 and hearts 32.

 

Advancing the spade J gains, I think, when LHO has Hx in spades and no heart J. If he covers, as he surely would with Hx, we win, ruff a spade, play heart King, heart A and ruff a spade with the 10. If that survives, as it will when spades are 43/34 or when he held Hx without the heart J, we cross to dummy with our last trump, and drive out the remaining spade honour. This requires 32 trump but so does the line suggested by others, and this seems to gain on a few layouts and on a quick think I couldn't see a cost.

[c_corgi]

... but if hearts are 4-1 I'm toast.

 

A winning club finesse, with 3 rounds of clubs standing up, plus successful elopement with dummy's last trump will land the toast butter side up.

[IVAN CY LO]

Ruff the spade 2 times, if any one was ruffed down K/Q, duck 1 round of spade, T/9 could always win and just loss 1 spade trick.

[Fluffy]

I ruff spades in hand playing for ♠4-3 and ♥ 3-2 or a short spade honnor, running ♠J would be bad if RHO has ♠Hx, and it also gives up the squeeze line when RHO has something like ♠KQxxx ♥xx ♦xx ♣Qxxx since when we get overruffed we have already lost 2 tricks.

 

The third line I think of is cross ruff, but ♦Q lead makes my gut reject it, but it might survive an overruff when clubs are 4-3 and ♣Q onside so it has some decent recovery even when RHO has diamond doubleton, But I would go for the ruff spades in hand.