[diana_eva]

Another play problem from JEC TM - this time a vul slam:

IMPs, strong opps:

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Lead is ♦Q

Spoiler

Spades are 2-1 with finesse on

[inquiry]

West appears to have ♦QJ (I am going to play him for that anyway). Dummy and I hold a combined 23 hcp, so that comes to 26 known points outside of EAST's hand. West will also have five, six or seven clubs for his jump to 3♣. It is possible, even likely, he has a club honor, probably the queen or jack. Giving East at most 14 and more likely 12 to 13 hcp for the opening bid.

I would like to ruff a diamond, pull trumps and exit a club for a potential endplay. However, I lack the entries to ruff a diamond, and take the spade finesse and still retain the heart king in dummy. So I see nothing better than winning ♦K in dummy, take the spade finesse, pull the last trump, cross to the heart king and take the heart hook. If East has ♥Qx or ♥Qxx this line makes an overtrick. If West has singleton heart queen you still make. If West has ♥Qx, oh well.

[FrancesHinden]

The suggested line of draw trumps, use the HK as the entry to eliminate diamonds and exit in clubs seems as good as anything. I'm going to assume that East has 6 clubs when it comes to counting the hand, if they play better minor. If they play complete short club, I assume East has 5 clubs and West 6. Probably.

At least this line makes every time East has a singleton heart, even if that isn't very likely.

[PhantomSac]

Agreed, at imps I think you have to strip it and then make a decision. There's not much need to plan ahead of time for what heart guess you'll make, by then you'll have more info (RHO's signal at trick 1, LHOs pitch on the spade, what happens in clubs, etc). Generally speaking I am not playing LHO for 1-1-5-6, they might have bid more and they might have led a heart. Conversely if they show up with 6 diamonds I will obviously play them to have 5 clubs so I will play them for 1-1-6-5.

But I might change my mind, we can cross that road when we get there.

[kenberg]

Oops, not awake yet I actually have a pointm but later when I am coherent.
OK, maybe now:

Suppose the play goes as envisioned: Win T1 on the board, small spade to the Q, everyone follows low. Cash the Ace of spades, then the Ace of diamonds, small heart to the King, rough a diamond, lead a club.

If E started wit a stiff club we are home no matter who takes the club. If W takes the trick we are home no matter how the cards lie. So suppose that E takes the club and leads back a heart, not the Q. Now what, and why?

E started with Kx in spades and either xx in hearts or Qxx in hearts. Which?

I suppose we must look for clues. It could, perhaps, help to know what E would open if he is 4-4 in the minors with strong clubs and weak diamonds. I open 1D when 4-4 but even I might choose 1C if my diamonds are xxxx and my clubs are KQJx. But some people routinely open 1C when 4-4 in the minors.

How about the 3C bid by W and the subsequent pass by E? I doubt E has six clubs for his pass. Maybe E has five clubs and passes. Hard to say.

If E was dealt, for example, 2=2=4=5 we must rise, if he was dealt 2=3=3=5 we must put in the Jack. Beats me as to how to choose..

There will be no problem when E has Qx, almost no matter ow we play,, and the throw-in handles the problem when E was dealt a stiff heart, but we have not solved all problems..

Bottom line: I have no idea whether, on the above development, I should insert the J or play the A.Perhaps W would have led a stiff if he had one. He definitiely would not lead a heart from Qx, and he might from just x, so maybe I go with that and rise.

[alok c]

Cash DAK & ruff a diamond with SJ.Exit with a club.

[kenberg]

alok c, on 2015-December-29, 14:34, said:

Cash DAK & ruff a diamond with SJ.Exit with a club.

E wins and plays a spade. You finnesse, ti wins, you now drop the spade King. You still have to deal with the hearts. Given that the spade finesse is working, it all comes down to the hearts.