What's the best line?

[MP7601]

[hv=pc=n&w=sakt43hj2dq2ckqj2&e=s8hkt64dak6ca9843&d=w&v=n&b=12&a=1sp2cp3cp3dp3sp4cp4sp4np5sp6cppp]266|200[/hv]

 

The defenders were representatives of Hong Kong at the most recent Bermuda Bowl finals.

 

After some thought, South leads ♣7, plan your play.

 

If you play small from dummy, North will follow ♣10.

 

If you play an early spade to the Ace and ruff a spade, south will follow with ♠J on the 2nd round.

[Cyberyeti]

If I play large from dummy at trick 1 does the 10 also appear ?

[LBengtsson]

If I play large from dummy at trick 1 does the 10 also appear ?

 

Good hand to post, MP7601. I see Cyberyeti's idea of a dummy reversal if the right ♣ non-honors appear, though timing is everything here. South has not led the ♥A if he has it, as he has worked out that declarer is the one with ♥K so leading an ace against a slam will make it easy for declarer.

 

There is probably a way to combine all chances of either dummy reversal or setting up 5th ♠ or as a final play leading towards the ♥K and guessing the location of the missing ♥ honors. Not quite sure what is the best line of play here myself at this stage, and will come back to this.

[mikeh]

Low from dummy. I reserve the right to rethink should north show out. Otherwise:

 

If the ten appears, then I play spade to the ace, ruff a spade high, diamond to dummy, spade, ruffing high, club to dummy.

 

At this juncture, if spades were 4-3, pull any remaining trump and claim twelve tricks.

 

If clubs were 2-2 I can keep cross ruffing even if spades were 5-2…I take a heart pitch and concede a heart.

 

If the ten doesn’t appear….still the same basic idea. Spade to the Ace, ruff low. Diamond to the Queen, ruff spade high. Club to dummy.

 

If spades behave, pull trump and claim.

 

If clubs were 2-2, but spades don’t split, take a heart pitch on diamonds and exit a heart.

 

If clubs were 3-1 and spades 5-2, I think I need to get lucky or have a winning guess in hearts if there is one.

[MP7601]

If I play large from dummy at trick 1 does the 10 also appear ?

 

That was unknown to me, as at the table I chose to play small from dummy, and then spade to Ace and ruff, noting the fall of

♠J from South. I now had to decide whether ♠J was a falsecard, or did spades really break 5-2, if so then I would need to ruff the hearts in dummy after taking a pitch on a diamond.

 

I was also not sure whether North would have followed ♣10 on the first trick if he had held ♣Tx.

 

Perhaps I should have chosen to cash the ♠AK first, in preparation for a full crossruff.