[Stephen Tu]

Scoring: MP

---

Auction:
(p)-1h-(p)-p;
(2c)-p-(p)-2H;
all pass

Opening lead: CK

OK, you've got a helpful opening lead, presumably doubleton, now what? Try to pitch diamond right away? (LHO ruffs 3rd club, leads D, then?).
Or play on spades first? (how?)
Or play trumps first? (how?)

[mikeh]

I would not take the ♦ pitch right away... there is no hurry for this, and a useful rule on this type of hand is to play on your side suit: ♠s.

The idea is to try to establish the long ♠ or to ruff it in dummy. As is often the case, this plan will have the beneficial effect of perhaps forcing the defenders to play trump for you... furthermore, by playing on ♠ now, you buy a tempo compared to playing 3 rounds of ♣: note that after that line, and a ♦ switch, the opps can regain the lead (at least) twice in ♠ in order to tap you.

Play a ♠ to the J.

The precise line thereafter depends on what the opps do, and they can play on any of the suits, but you have a counter (usually a winning counter) to whatever they do.

They can, of course, switch to ♦ and now you have to play 3 rounds of ♣. This seems to be equivalent to playing on ♣ immediately, but it is not, because you can now play another ♠ and you are a tempo ahead should they need to try to prevent a ♠ ruff.

If they switch to a trump, you can duck or hook the Queen: I don't think you have a lot to go on, in terms of which line you take: I'd probably duck completely.

If they continue ♣, take your ♦ pitch as before.

And a ♠ continuation won't hurt.

[FrancesHinden]

I agree it's right to play on spades, but is there something to be said for starting with the queen from hand? This gains if RHO has Ax or Kx, which feels a lot more likely than LHO having doubleton honour.

[pclayton]

I've been thinking about this one off and on for 12 hours now. I had my Blackberry during the "Davinci Code" last night, so there was plenty of time to think about things other than the movie.

I agree 100% with Frances that the most effective way to play spades is the Q from hand. If we are banking on 3 hearts, 3 clubs, 1 diamond and one spade, not drawing trump could be costly. The only way we can't make a single spade trick is when RHO holds AKxx or Hxxx, which is very negligible given RHO holds 6 clubs. So the need to ruff a spade is illusory.

If LHO ruffs a club from xxx or Hxx, we have an easy make, since a spade ruff in dummy will be forthcoming.

So, my first reaction to the hand was to play A♥, low ♥.

If we play a spade first and east wins and plays another club, we will try to take the pitch on the diamond first before playing another spade anyway. If we don't, theres a big chance we'll lose 3 spades, a diamond and two trump.

My biggest concern about not drawing trump is losing an unnecessary club ruff to LHO who might hold xx in trump.

[Codo]

I had played two round of Heart too...