[mikegill]

Scoring: MP

P P 1♦ 2♣
P P X P
P P

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Nobody I've given this to has gotten this right yet, so I'll see how people here do. Partner leads the sK, and switches to the d2 (3/5). You play the Q and declarer wins the A. He plays a heart, partner showing an odd #, so you duck, and declarer plays another heart which you win. Now what?

[mike777]

mikegill, on Jun 4 2007, 01:09 PM, said:

Scoring: MP

P P 1♦ 2♣
P P X P
P P

---

Nobody I've given this to has gotten this right yet, so I'll see how people here do.  Partner leads the sK, and switches to the d2 (3/5).  You play the Q and declarer wins the A.  He plays a heart, partner showing an odd #, so you duck, and declarer plays another heart which you win.  Now what?

Have to admit I am a bit confused with all this shifting by everyone including partner. I have no idea why partner is not pulling trump. His K of spades opening lead really confuses me. He could have opened a trump or even a D.

He cannot need a club by me that much.

I will lead another D and try and tap declarer.

[mikegill]

Declarer follows with the dJ on the 2nd round of diamonds.

[mike777]

So partner's hand is:

KQ...xxx...xxx....KQxxx or
KQ...xxx...xxx...KJxxx?

hmmm the K of s lead looks really wierd now I guess.

Or partner has passed the double with only 4 clubs? and KQx in spades?

Someone only has 4 clubs. and lead a weird K of spades oh well.

[cherdano]

mike777, on Jun 4 2007, 12:32 PM, said:

So partner's hand is:

KQ...xxx...xxx....KQxxx or
KQ...xxx...xxx...KJxxx?

I would safely assume that LHO hasn't made a 4-card overcall.

[Sambolino]

dK than h... looked attractive on a first sight; actually dK than c - if pard has K or A fourth we'll set it

[Free]

Small ♠, and only later when we get to our hand with ♦ I'll return a ♣

[ArcLight]

Pard passed the X, so I assume he has just 3 spades. With 2 that would mean declarer has 5 spades and 5-6 clubs. I think he'd instead overcall 1 Spade at the 1 level, rather than make a 2 level overcall on a 5 card suit that appears to be missing spots and an honor or two. Pard should have KJxx at least in Clubs to sit for the X.

Pard is: 3=3=3=4
Declarer is: 4=2=2=5

To set him we need 6 tricks. 2 spades, 1 heart, 1 dime, and 2 trumps.

You need to prevent declarer from reaching dummy for 2 discards before you get your spades.

Lead a club, so pard can top it, and exit a spade.

[mike777]

well if partner has anything in clubs we got our 6 tricks...what is the issue, btw hate the K of s lead.

[mikegill]

if pard has KJxx of clubs, you are always getting +100 exactly. 2 spades, 1 heart, 1 diamond, and 2 clubs, so that case really doesn't matter.

[Fluffy]

Stop cashing your tricks or partner will get endplayed.

a club after winning ♥A looks best.

[mikegill]

ok, we're getting there... yes, partner getting endplayed is, in fact, the concern, but leading trumps is not the way to fix it.

[bid_em_up]

You don't state how partner followed to the diamond. I assume he will give count?

[Fluffy]

bid_em_up, on Jun 5 2007, 08:35 PM, said:

You don't state how partner followed to the diamond. I assume he will give count?

he led the ♦2, he has 3 cards.

[Free]

Can you give us the full hand now?

[Poky]

I play ♦K and diamond back. We should make:
♠AK
♥A
♦Q
♣QJ.

[mikegill]

Scoring: MP

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The last post seemed to have the right idea, although didn't explicitly state why. Since partner is a passed hand, there is a limit on how good his hand/trumps can be. He probably has the KQJ of spades, since leading from KQ nothing is usually a losing proposition, and he had an easy lead in your suit. If so, he certainly can't have the AQ of clubs, and probably not the KQ or AJ. So, whatever partner's trumps are, they aren't good enough for him to draw all 3 of dummy's, and then let you cash some spades, since that pesky T will let declarer into dummy. You know what everyone has really - if partner has the KJxx of clubs, he will always be safe from endplays because he can win the J, exit with a small one, then wait for his K.

However, if partner happens to hold QJxx, which isn't so unlikely, you need to do a spot of protecting. Let's say you return a trump. Declarer wins high, and plays a spade. Who wins really doesn't matter. He will simply win the return, ruff a spade in dummy, cash a heart winner pitching his last spade, and ruff a diamond in hand. He will then be down to A87 of trump in hand and T in dummy with partner holding QJx, so a little one will endplay partner.

The correct play here is first to cash the ♦K to clarify the position, and when declarer drops the J it's clear. In order to prevent the endplay you must now play another diamond. Yes this lets declarer into dummy, but he has plenty of winners anyway. Now, you can gain the lead on the 2nd round of spades in order to lead a 4th round of diamonds. If declarer trumps this high, partner will retain QJxx (effectively KQxx at that point since declarer ruffed high) to the end instead of QJx and thus will have an exit card. If declarer lets partner win with the Q or J, he still is holding a small spade for an exit.

At the table, this hand cashed the ♦K and the ♠A before thinking about the endplay, at which point it was too late. Fortunately, it was a bad club game and declarer wasn't up to the task.