Play this 5D contract

[Trumpace]

You are South, playing a friend rubber. No one is vul and you hold:

 

AKJx, _, JT8764,xxx

 

You hear partner open 1NT and end up in 5D from your side.

RHO thinks a little before passing the 5D.

 

LHO leads the ♥J and you see:

 

[hv=n=sxxhkqxxdk9cakxxx&s=sakjxhdjt8764cxxx]133|200|Lead ♥J.[/hv]

 

If you cover the ♥J, RHO will play the ♥A.

[bestguru]

well, here is one way:

 

 

 

cover let and ruff low

plan on cashing AK♠ ruffing spades and hearts twice

go ahead and take my two trump losers

 

 

 

edited for color

[coyot]

Yep, cash two spades, ruff third spade. If they can't overruff now, I'm all set because I discard a club on heart honor and then only have to decide which suit to lead from the dummy to ruff in hand (as an overruff would kill me). Heart looks quite safe when it comes to it... so I will score 4 black top tricks, one trick in hearts and six diamonds (2 ruffs and 4 in hand).

 

If RHO has 2 spades only, no way to make unless one of them is the queen.

 

If he has 3 spades, he is welcome to overruff the king with ace :), then it will be 1 ruff and 5 diamonds in hand.

[Trumpace]

Could you guys please elaborate on your solution? What is the exact sequence of plays you will make? i.e at what trick will you score you spade Ace etc.

[coyot]

1): high heart from dummy, ruff ace low

2) Ace of spades

3) King of spades

4) low spade ruffed.

5) high heart, discard a club

6,7) cash your high clubs (hoping for 3-2 break)

8) heart, ruff low in hand (opps started with 9 hearts, not likely to be 7-2)

9) spade jack led, ruff with the king.

 

Why cash the clubs? If RHO has 3442 shape with AQxx in diamonds (well, 3 spades, 2 clubs and at least AQx in diamonds to be correct), he will REFUSE to overruff your diamond king on the 4th spade trick, discarding one club. Then you must ruff fourth heard to get in hand and start playing trumps, but he will win the first trump trick and play his remaining club, forcing you to table and ruffing another club trick with his low trump.)

 

You have to rely on the clubs to break 3-2 anyway - because if you execute the two spade ruffs and cross back with 4th heart ruff to start playing trumps, RHO will win and return a club anyway to force you onto the dummy again.

 

I see no other way of making this contract - you simply need clubs 3-2 and RHO with at least 3 spades. (Unless the spade queen drops in 2nd or 3rd round of spades).

[Stephen Tu]

I would suggest this is better: (line in hidden text)

 

 

Cashing the clubs early seems right, but can't you give yourself extra chances by:

1. cover heart, ruff

2. CA

3. pitch club on heart

4. CK

5. SAK, ruff spade with KING

6. heart ruff, ruff spade

 

This just needs clubs 3-2, nothing crazy in hearts, and RHO with 3-5 spades OR RHO with 2 spades and not the DA. You'd want to cash the clubs first in case someone has a doubleton spade and a doubleton club.

 

[coyot]

I was looking for a line under the assumption that RHO has at least AQx in trumps (I can't find any other holding where he would consider doubling - Ace of hearts and Qxx or Qxxx in diamonds is a long shot...)

Therefore my line does not involve any protection against RHO with 2 spades at all.