[JLOGIC]

A98
Q96
KJ764
KJ

KQJ4
AT75
5
A543

You get to 3N as south (auction was 1D 1H 2H 2N 3D 3N...2n asked 3D showed a max with 3*). LHO leads the 8 of clubs (4th, 2nd from nothing), J Q small**. RHO shifts to the 2 of diamonds to LHOs 8. Plan the play.

*LOLtastic bidding obv but whatever
**Maybe ducking trick 1 was not the right play but it's pretty natural, comments welcome about it obv but it's not meant to be the focus of the hand.

[Hanoi5]

♠K ♥ towards the 9.

[Fluffy]

instinctively a heart towards dummy to find the 9th, but I would cash ♥A before playing it.

[benlessard]

how can we write in invisible color since i dont want to spoil the problem.

[JLOGIC]

It's fine just post the answer

WTF I cannot remember how to use spoiler tags?

Spoiler

testing

ahh, it's [ spoiler ] and [ /spoiler ] without spaces...they changed it from hidden

This post has been edited by JLOGIC: 2013-May-06, 07:31

[ArtK78]

Spade to K, Heart to 9. I have to assume that LHO has no entry, otherwise they have 5 tricks - the club they have, the heart that they must score, and 3 diamonds if LHO can gain the lead and play through dummy. So I am playing RHO for the ♥K and the ♦A. If the ♥9 loses to the K, I am safe if LHO cannot gain the lead. If it loses to the J, I cross to dummy in clubs (to unblock the K) and run the ♥Q (or play a heart to the 10).

[Free]

We have 8 tricks, so I'd maximize my chances for an extra trick in ♥ while trying to keep W off lead. So ♥A, ♥ to the 9. This is better than not cashing ♥A imo, because it caters for ♥K stiff in West.

[mfa1010]

We could try a low diamond off dummy. If W has ♥K+♦Q83 then leading diamonds twice from dummy is the only way to make it. If they return a club which makes us believe the suit is 3-4 with east having 4, we could exit a third diamond. Playing this way we'll get full count for the end position and can play the longer hearts hand for ♥K by either leding towards the Q or endplaying E with the fourth club.

[benlessard]

Agree with exiting diamonds. But im planning of endplay West not East.


Switching like this usually mean he only need (or reasonnably expect) one entry to partner and the clubs are probably 52. If the D are 25 or , 34 with East holding AQxx exiting diamond is a scissor coup if west hold the K of H.

[gszes]

If I were east and I held xxxx Kxx AQT2 Qx would I switch to a low dia
at trick 2?? what would be the purpose? P cannot possibly have an entry
and all it seems to accomplish is to give declarer a trick they do not
deserve with no upside. If I held xxxx Jxx AQT2 Qx now a low dia at least
has a chance of gaining 3 tricks for 1 and the switch seems reasonable.

Thinking this way ---- it is probably best to assume lho has the heart K and
figure out if there is around this problem. It makes no difference if the

dia split 43 or 52 by exiting with a small dia at trick 3 you cater to either
distribution and the opps cannot cash the 3rd dia winner (if they have one)
and still make a killing heart return. If the dia split 52 the opps are never due
more than 2 dia and you have plenty of time to set up a heart.

[JLOGIC]

I think it is overwhelmingly likely that the diamonds are AT9x and Q8x. With AQTx or AQ9x a diamond shift would be really weird and with 5 diamonds a diamond shift would definitely be weird, they are most likely hoping to sacrifice a diamond trick early to set up their tricks so AT9x is the only thing that fits.

Anyways, as mfa and others noted you can cater to everything possible by ducking the diamond except AQTx which is very unlikely. Duck the diamond, the key being if they return the DQ you win and play a diamond. Now RHO is scissors couped, if he shifts to a heart to set up hearts you have 9 and they can't cash a diamond. If they cash a diamond you have 9 that way.

If they continue clubs I was thinking you just try to set up hearts but maybe MFAs idea is stronger if you get a good read on clubs.

I thought this was a cool position mainly because of the idea of ducking the diamond, then on the DQ you win and RHO has to duck perforce then you play another diamond with the dual threat of a scissors coup and setting up the long diamond. It's not a theme I've seen before but I think it's findable.

IRL my partner thought for a long time and decided to continue clubs so this hand made easily and he slammed his cards afterwards and said sorry. Later we decided declarer *SHOULD* make even on a diamond shift but that it would be tough (declarer was my dad though so obv he plays perfectly ).

[benlessard]

Quote

With AQTx or AQ9x a diamond shift would be really weird and with 5 diamonds a diamond shift would definitely be weird,

By weird you mean too risky or tough to find ?

If east hold xxx in hearts he know declarer had 3C, 3H, 1S + another likely S spade stopper. So if partner doesnt hold the A or the K of H it seem to have no future. If partner got the A or K of H a D switch from many 4 cards holding look good no ?

[JLOGIC]

Yes, with 4 diamonds it makes sense, with 5 it doesn't really. With AQTx it doesn't really since the suit is blocked. AQ9x could make sense, but ducking even caters to AQ9x (if LHO has a heart entry you're down anyways whether you duck or win, if LHO doesn't have a heart entry you're probably still fine after ducking).

Q8x and AT9x, the only way to make it is to duck if LHO has a heart entry (and if they don't ducking probably won't cost since you can set up hearts).

With AQTx the shift doesn't make sense, you just have to hope your partner has the slow entries (declarer is not guaranteed to have more than one spade trick, the SQ is a stopper for instance).