6C

[jallerton]

[hv=pc=n&s=skt8haqdkt5caqj53&n=sa3h432da862ckt96&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=2np3s(Minors)p4cp6cppp]266|200[/hv]

 

After a simple auction, you reach 6♣.IMPs.

 

West leads ♣8. Plan the play.

[biggerclub]

[hv=pc=n&s=skt8haqdkt5caqj53&n=sa3h432da862ckt96&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=2np3s(Minors)p4cp6cppp]266|200[/hv]

 

After a simple auction, you reach 6♣.IMPs.

 

West leads ♣8. Plan the play.

 

Run the lead to hand. If E follows, draw another trump.

 

If trump are 2-2: A♠, K♠, ruff a ♠. ♦ to the T. If E goes up with an honor, cover with K♦, cross with a trump and lead a low ♦ toward the T. If E goes up with another honor, duck <good play>. Rise with the A on a ♥ return. Cash the T♦. If E plays the 9♦, cover with the T and the ♦ in dummy will provide a discard for the Q♥, regardless. Cross to the fourth trump and cash the A♦, shedding the Q♥ and claim. If E plays low on the first ♦, put in the T. When W returns a ♦ (A ♥ ends the worries), run it to the K. Play a ♦ to the A and if they are 3-3 pitch the Q♥ on the 13th ♦ otherwise take the ♥ finesse.

 

If trump are 3-1 play as above and if W, when in with the ♦ winner, exits a trump, test the ♦ as before and fall back on the ♥ finesse as a last option again.

 

If W has all 4 trumps, you need to duck a ♦ at trick 3, then win the return, ruff the ♠ and again draw trump and then test the ♦s before falling back on the finesse.

 

I think.

 

(edited to add comment about the 9♦)

[wanoff]

2 rounds of trumps, ♦K, ruff a spade, diamond.

If East wins this without crashing his partners ♦J, and a heart comes through, a decision will have to be made but I'd opt for the squeeze.

[rhm]

Run the lead to hand. If E follows, draw another trump.

 

If trump are 2-2: A♠, K♠, ruff a ♠. ♦ to the T. If E goes up with an honor, cover with K♦, cross with a trump and lead a low ♦ toward the T. If E goes up with another honor, duck <good play>. Rise with the A on a ♥ return. Cash the T♦. If E plays the 9♦, cover with the T and the ♦ in dummy will provide a discard for the Q♥, regardless. Cross to the fourth trump and cash the A♦, shedding the Q♥ and claim. If E plays low on the first ♦, put in the T. When W returns a ♦ (A ♥ ends the worries), run it to the K. Play a ♦ to the A and if they are 3-3 pitch the Q♥ on the 13th ♦ otherwise take the ♥ finesse.

If you ruff a spade and East goes up with a diamond honor honor and you go to dummy with a trump to play a second diamond to the ten and East goes in to play a heart there is no fourth trump left in dummy.

It is still correct to rise with the ace. You can cash your trumps squeezing a defender who is left with ♦9x and the ♥K.

But your line looses when West has ♦Hx and the ♥K.

 

Anyway I am not convinced that this is better than simply the following.

 

If trump are 2-2: A♠, K♠, ruff a ♠. Now Ace of diamond, diamond to towards the KT, playing the ten if East plays low and otherwise the King followed by the ten.

Either West will be endplayed or diamonds will provide three tricks 60% of the time. If that does not materialize fall back on the heart finesse.

 

Rainer Herrmann

[jallerton]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Trumps were 2-2.

 

My partner eliminated the spades and then played a ♦ to the 10 on the first round. It occurred to me afterwards that having stripped the hand it might be better to play ♦K and then low to the 10 (as suggested by Rainer).

 

But I also wondered whether it is correct to eliminate the spades at all. If you want to play a low ♦ to the 10 on the first round, it might be better to leave the spade entry in dummy. Then if RHO inserts a quack, return to dummy and then lead up to the 10. If diamonds don't play for 3 tricks then fall back on the heart finesse. Maybe RHO can deceive us by play high from Q9x or J9x, but I suspect that it would not have been found at the table.