A nice ending

[pilowsky]

13 people made 3NT+1 for 430 and 70%. I found 4♥-2 but it is makeable with a nice (imo) ending.

Here's the hand.

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Here's the moment where it's makeable but I stuffed it up.

South to play and make 4 more tricks.[hv=pc=n&s=shqdqcaj84&w=sh3dj32c97&n=skhdkt876c&e=s432hdcqt3]399|300[/hv]

Edit - yes 5

[PeterAlan]

♥Q, ♦Q overtaken, ♠K, ♦ and you'll make 5 tricks rather than 4.

[Cyberyeti]

♥Q, ♦Q overtaken, ♠K, ♦ and you'll make 5 tricks rather than 4.

 

As the cards lie, but potentially embarrassing (give one hand ♦Jx and the 3 spades). Basically anything where you retain the club ace after cashing Q♥ and playing Q♦ will do for 4 tricks as the cards lie, you can allow the Q♦ to hold and exit a small club

[nige1]

Please ignore: see Peter Alan's post below :(

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Pilowsky "13 people made 3NT+1 for 430 and 70%. I found 4♥-2 but it is makeable with a nice (imo) ending. Here's the hand."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thank you, Pilowski :) Death defying 1st round ♥ finesse :)

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Pilowsky "South to play and make 4 more tricks. Here's the moment where it's makeable but I stuffed it up."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Five tricks, you mean. Interesting ending :) Difficult to get right :(

Declarer cashes ♥Q and overtakes ♦Q with dummy's ♦K, squeezing East ...

A. If East retains more than 1 ♠, then North exits in ♦, immediately, end-playing West:

to give the remaining tricks to North or South.

B. If East keeps only 1 ♠, then North cashes ♠A, before end-playing West in ♦s.[/hv]

Edited August 6, 2020 by nige1

[PeterAlan]

As the cards lie, but potentially embarrassing (give one hand ♦Jx and the 3 spades).

I confess that I just gave a quick response to the double-dummy position, but I think you can always guarantee 4 tricks after W follows to ♦Q and you overtake.

 

If E has followed to this ♦ (leaving the possibility that it retains ♦J) then either:

 

1. you decide to play W for that card, as before (♠K, ♦), or
    
   
2. you accept 4 tricks by playing another ♦ without cashing ♠K. If E wins this, then a ♠ return gives you all of dummy, so E returns its only ♣. (At the start of the 6-card position, E held the 3 remaining ♠s because of the 2♠ call, so 2♦s means singleton ♣. Presumably E will have pitched a ♠ on ♥Q.) If you duck this, then either E holds the trick and must play a ♠ or W overtakes and is endplayed in ♣s. Covering minimally works too.
   

If W doesn't follow to ♦Q you're guaranteed 5 tricks by overtaking and playing another ♦, as E can't have a ♣.

 

Nigel, I don't see how a possible squeeze on E needs to come into your picture. After ♥, ♦, ♠, ♦ with W on lead there are only 2 cards left: a ♦ return gives the rest to dummy, and a ♣'s into S's AJ.

 

Paul had already lost the ♠ and ♦ Aces, so needed 5 tricks for his contract.

[pilowsky]

Thank you, Pilowski :) Death defying 1st round ♥ finesse :)

 

 

From the 2♠ bid I played West for the ♥J - but yes, I was feeling pretty smug . Also, I just discovered that the 'y' at the end of my name was a clerical error on my Father's birth certificate - Nige1. So I'll just have to lyve with it. c'est la vye.

[nige1]

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You are right Peter Alan. Sorry. I was mistaken :(

And sorry about misspelling your name, Pilowsky :(

Consolation: Nobody spells my name (Guthrie) correctly :(

Anyway, not a good start to the day :)

 

Pathetic attempt at recovery:

If the 5-card ending had been as on the left, with South on lead..

then 2 rounds of ♠s squeeze East :)

[/hv]