[WrecksVee]

Scoring: IMP

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After RHO passed I opened as South 1♦. LHO overcalled 1♠. Partner showed invite plus support for ♦ by cue bidding 2♠. I bid 4NT RKCB and we got to 6♦ with the Opps silent. If this seems aggressive we were down 18 IMPs and this was the last board.

Playing standard leads LHO leads the ♠Q.

What is the best line to make the contract?

I will now pass some time awaiting helpful input at the Internet Chess Club where I can see ahead far more moves than I can tricks.

Thanks in advance for any and all analysis and advice.

PS: this is not a Rex and Jay Misadventure as, sadly, declarer play is a solo activity.

[CSGibson]

I would win in hand, cash the ace of hearts, ruff a low heart, lead a trump to the king. If that holds, I'm ruffing another heart high and playing another trump. That line works whenever hearts break no worse than 5-3 and trump no worse than 3-1, plus some other variations where hearts are 6-2 but the short opponent doesn't have the T of diamonds.

Edit: Oops, I'm an idiot. Ignore me.

[bhall]

CSGibson, on Jan 26 2008, 02:20 PM, said:

I would win in hand, cash the ace of hearts, ruff a low heart, lead a trump to the king.  If that holds, I'm ruffing another heart high and playing another trump.  That line works whenever hearts break no worse than 5-3 and trump no worse than 3-1, plus some other variations where hearts are 6-2 but the short opponent doesn't have the T of diamonds.

That's only 11 tricks - you will lose a spade at the end, even if the ♦10 doesn't score on the 4th round of ♥.

A line that has some chance (maybe 25%) is to win the lead in hand, play A and ruff a club (who knows, the KQ may fall), and play ♦K, hoping for stiff ♦10 or trumps 2-2. Then, if ♣ are 4-3, you can set them up, and you will have successfully reversed dummy. You will score 6 trump tricks and 2 in each side suit.

If the ♣s don't set up but the ♦10 falls, you would even have the entries to finesse in hearts. (Take second ♣ ruff high and enter dummy with a trump.)

[ArtK78]

CSGibson, on Jan 26 2008, 02:20 PM, said:

I would win in hand, cash the ace of hearts, ruff a low heart, lead a trump to the king.  If that holds, I'm ruffing another heart high and playing another trump.  That line works whenever hearts break no worse than 5-3 and trump no worse than 3-1, plus some other variations where hearts are 6-2 but the short opponent doesn't have the T of diamonds.

Except for the fact that you wind up with 11 tricks, that line works just fine.

There are two possibilities - try to set up the dummy with 3 club ruffs, or try to cross ruff the hand.

Setting up the dummy with 3 club ruffs depends upon the ♦10 being singleton or doubleton and being able to get to dummy enough to establish the clubs. I don't think this is the right line.

A cross ruff works if you are able to ruff 2 hearts and a spade in dummy. This works whenever hearts are 4-4 or if the ♥Q comes up doubleton or tripleton (elimiating the need for one of the heart ruffs). There are some other complications, but this seems best.

So, win the ♠K in dummy, play A, K (pitching a spade from dummy) and another heart, ruffing in dummy, ♣A and club ruff, ♠A and ruff a spade in dummy, club ruff, heart. If you can successfully ruff the fourth heart in dummy, ruff a club and claim one more trump trick in hand.

[Ronald_21]

I don't see anything better then the heart finesse:

Win the spade ace, heart to the jack, ace of hearts (discard a spade), spade king, spade ruff, diamond to the king. Then ruff another heart at the first opportunity (pull another trump first when the diamond ace is played rightaway).

[pclayton]

I see 3 lines:

1. Work on clubs. ♠K, ♣A, ruff a ♣, ♥AK (♠ from dummy) ♠A, ruff a ♣. You can try a high trump now. If trumps are 2-2 I think you are cold, or if you get a stiff 10 you have other options. ♦ATx stops this as a trump is established.

2. Crossruff of sorts: ♠A, ♥AK (♠), ruff ♠, ♣A, ruff♣, ruff heart, ruff club, ruff heart, claim. This needs hearts 4-4, spades not 5-2 or 6-1 (or if they are, the short spade without the ♦10) and clubs not 5-2 over me.

3. Heart finesse. This gives you a lot of of insurance against bad splits in any side suit but its very committal. If I thought about this option I would definitely start with a high trump.

My gut tells me that 3 isn't best, and either 1 or 2 is better - or a combination of the two. Possibly a different sequence might be better too.

Another option is to play a high diamond from hand. The problem is if they shoot back a diamond, you've lost the possibility of #2, since you need three trump in dummy. I think you can still try #1 after a trump.

I'm running out but I'll think about this more.

[ceeb]

Win in hand, ♣, ♣ ruff, ♦Q. I think there is a good chance trumps are breaking; sometimes West would double with a singleton. In any case, the hearts may be easier to guess after testing a few other suits.

[WrecksVee]

On the actual hand I went with the idea of ruffing a ♠ and two ♥ in dummy. I overlooked the auction forgetting that LHO overcalled 1♠. As ♠ were 5-2 and RHO had the ♦T. So I needed to try any other line.

[ArtK78]

I forgot the auction as well, as the auction was buried in the initial post.

Please make the auction more prominent in your posts. There is a place for the auction in the hand diagram.

[pclayton]

I didn't see the overcall either. This changes everything.

[microcap]

Poor Rex-- he can't even post a hand correctly! See what I have to put up with?

I think Bhall's line is the best one myself