[mikeh]

You hold Q 9xxx AQx KJ9xx. White v red

RHO deals…..and opens 1D.

(1D) P (1H) 4S (p) p (x) p (4N) p (p) p.

4N was takeout…announcing two places to play. Your partnership style is very aggressive preempts at favourable. You’re playing a very good team and your LHO is a WC player. Your lead and why?

Probably not that interesting if you think carefully, recognizing that this is presented as a problem. ATT, there’s no alarm bell ringing

[akwoo]

I saw the hand already, didn't think it could be set, and I just spent about a minute to figure it out, double dummy.

I'm not finding the right lead without seeing all the cards, though I see the logic. At the table, even seeing all the cards might not help.

I mean - I already knew my team would have to play decently just to stay within 100 IMPs of Mikeh's team over just 24 boards, but it's still shocking to see how the disparity plays out.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

I would have lead partners suit.

Now, the 4NT bid tells me declarer has clubs and hearts,
the spade stop will be on the table, but I am hard pressed to see
a source of tricks.

I am stopping diamonds and clubs, ..., and they dont seem to have a big
heart fit.

With kind regards
marlowe

[mw64ahw]

I'll play a low ♥ rather than lead from a tenace. I don't fancy Q♠ and will let ops lead them.

[mikeh]

On initial thought both my partner and I were of the view that opener probably had the minors, but I think the correct analysis is a little different.

Clearly LHO has spades well under control….he’s not passing a ‘takeout’ 4N, with the lead coming though him, otherwise. More importantly, if opener has the minors, on many hands he’d have bid 5C, not 4N. Responder hasn’t promised long hearts. So opener, with say 1=4=6=2 (the analysis also works if he’s 0=4=6=3) should always bid 4N, intending to pull the expected 5C to 5D…showing 4 hearts and longer diamonds. Thus imo it’s a mistake to infer that a club lead can’t work. Indeed, it’s pretty obvious from your hcp and the auction that partner simply has a huge number of spades and almost surely no entry. Meanwhile, all you need him to hold, for a club lead to work, is the 10 or the unlikely queen…of opener to hold Ax or AQ…given that Dummy probably has AK in spades (it’s not sure, but if he only has the ace, partner definitely can’t have an entry!) and usually some heart values, it’s quite logical to play partner for the club 10 or opener for Ax. In either case, given the likelihood of two diamond entries, the club stands out.

My partner is a really good player…but both he and I missed these inferences and he made what I think 95% or more of players would consider clearly the normal lead…the futile spade. Sure enough, declarer held x J108x (I may have misplaced the 9….I think you held xxxx and declarer J1098, which is irrelevant) K9xxxx AQ….a bad 10 count….at the WC people open on any excuse…but with x J1098 KJxxxx AQ, I’d open for sure and the analysis is the same.

Also, I did have the club 10, lol.

Our teammates defended 4S doubled after the 1462 hand passed (as I would) so that was expensive.

One problem we’ve encountered is that we’re often under time pressure. Personally, I think that at a WC they should give us a little more time, but as soon as the table is (literally) 1 second late..Not in finishing play but in entering the score, the table is assessed 1 VP and the only issue is whether that’s against one pair or is apportioned….there’s video of every table so the directors can review if it’s disputed, as it inevitably is…we tend to notice delays by the other three players and not our own, since we’re thinking intensely and not tracking how long it’s taking us.

Since we’ve been under time pressure most matches, I’m allowing myself to get stressed out, which is not how to play well🧐

[mike777]

Fascinating thank you so much for sharing.
What is the name of the person who set the time policy and what was their reasoning?
Is there serious discussions to revisit the time policy or do most top players prefer the present policy?

[jillybean]

As you say in the OP, knowing this is a problem, a club lead is obvious.

I’m interested to hear more about the time constraints that you are facing in the event.

[jillybean]

jillybean, on 2024-October-25, 06:34, said:

As you say in the OP, knowing this is a problem, a club lead is obvious.

I’m interested to hear more about the time constraints that you are facing in the event.

ping