[kfay]

Scoring: MP

1♥-(2♠)-3N-(P)
4♠-4N
5♣-5N
6♥

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♣J is led.

[MomoTheDog]

Best to try for 13 tricks here.

I'm guessing you win the lead with the declarer's A♣. Draw trumps (hoping they break 3-2), play a club to the dummy's king, play the ace of spade pitching a small club, ruff a club - if clubs break 3-3, you have 13 tricks. If it doesn't, I think there is a squeeze lurking somewhere here.

[rbforster]

If trumps are breaking, the contract is secure and despite the MP scoring I'm worrying first about making our slam since particularly with the preempt it will be a rare contract.

If the bad case of a single trump loser (4-1 split), we can play West for 6-1 in the majors. Seems like the J♣ opening lead is most likely from shortness. Club shortness gives West 6=1=4=2 or 6=1=5=1 likely shapes, and hence can be squeezed in diamonds and spades. Hope for an ending like this (after East returned a minor when given his trump winner to avoid giving us a free spade finesse) -

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South's last trump hopefully squeezes West (we pitch the Q♠ if West has pitched 5 spades, otherwise a diamond). A diamond is then lead to the K and if the remaining diamond honors fall we have all the rest (together with the A♠). If West keeps the diamonds, hopefully the K♠ will fall under the ace and our queen will take the last.

I suppose there might be other less likely squeezes too (a lead from JTxx in clubs and spades, or maybe against East with Kxx in spades and one of the minor guards), but I can't quite see how those would work and certainly not consistent with playing for the above one which I think is much more likely. Hopefully a real expert will enlighten us .

[benlessard]

Quote

If trumps are breaking, the contract is secure and despite the MP scoring I'm worrying first about making our slam since particularly with the preempt it will be a rare contract.

I disagree

I expect heavy majority will be in slam and a fair amount in 6Nt. So the possible overtrick is important.

I assume the lead is from JTX or stiff J. With Jx or JTxx. i think LHO will probably lead a trump.

So ill pull some trump. go to dummy with K of clubs discard a club on the A of S ruff a clubs if Clubs are 3-3 im home if LHO has short clubs then ill reach.

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.

So if LHO has 4D im ok.

[jdonn]

Didn't read the other answers so it might have been said. Win ace of clubs, draw trumps. Club to the king, throw club on ace of spades, ruff a club. If they break 3-3 I'm home. If they break 2-4 (or worse) I have a double squeeze around diamonds. If they break 4-2 (or worse) I think I just make 6.

So my double squeeze endposition with a trump to play is this

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[han]

This double squeeze only works if RHO has the clubs. You probably go down if LHO is 6-1-2-4.

[keylime]

My worry is if the same hand holds 4 trumps and 4 diamonds to 2 honors. I don't think you can make it then conceptually unless LHO happens to be 6-1-4-2 (I doubt strongly they are 6-5; a Michaels overcall comes then). Then it should be a straight double squeeze.

If LHO is on 4 card side suit of clubs. I think on similar lines you get into a squeeze position by keeping the spade menace and playing trumps to force them to keep more cards.

I'm playing for 12 tricks only. Even with the preempt playing 6NT loses out on this construction enough to warrant not considering it - you likely are not getting a spade lead.

I am going to assume that the J is from shortness. I strongly suspect they wouldn't lead it from JTx or JTxx - not a logical lead in this context unless LHO is exactly 6-2-2-3 and didn't want to blow the lead.

So, I go for a Vienna coup like Josh does. It's the simplest way to get to 12 tricks, and lends itself for more 4-1 trump splits and side suit 4-2's.

[Halo]

Wish I'd got there first like benlessard.

[jdonn]

Halo, on Nov 30 2007, 03:49 PM, said:

Wish I'd got there first like benlessard.

The beginning of his line was fine but then he didn't get the squeeze position right. If he starts that way and LHO has short clubs (and trumps broke) the double squeeze is 100%. He is losing to 6331 and 6232.

[Halo]

jdonn, on Nov 30 2007, 04:37 PM, said:

Halo, on Nov 30 2007, 03:49 PM, said:

Wish I'd got there first like benlessard.

The beginning of his line was fine but then he didn't get the squeeze position right. If he starts that way and LHO has short clubs (and trumps broke) the double squeeze is 100%. He is losing to 6331 and 6232.

Agreed, I thought ruffing out clubs was the only chance in this dire contract, but you would have beaten me when the double squeeze worked (and not the single) and probably have got a lot of MPs

[dburn]

Hannie, on Nov 30 2007, 12:47 PM, said:

This double squeeze only works if RHO has the clubs. You probably go down if LHO is 6-1-2-4.

If West began with 6=1=2=4 shape, there is no way to make the contract (provided that his clubs are headed by J10). East will play ♣Q when given his trump trick, and no squeeze can operate.

If West began with 6=1=4=2 (or 6=1=5=1) shape, the contract can be made in a number of ways (the club spots are not necessary for success). One of the more elegant of these is to give East his trump trick, win his diamond return with the ace, and run trumps to reach:

Scoring: MP

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The defenders cannot hold this position no matter what they have retained.

If, however, West began with 6=1=3=3 shape, declarer cannot succeed by attempting a squeeze - only the line of ruffing out the clubs will work.

It seems that, as with jdonn's earlier play problem in 2♥, declarer must form a view as to the distribution before embarking on a particular line of play. It should be said that if trumps are 3-2, declarer never jeopardizes his chance for an overtrick by drawing trumps from trick two onwards, whereas if trumps are 4-1, he may well jeopardize his contract by not doing so (it would be very stupid, for example, to play ♣A and a club to the king if West began with 6=1=5=1).

[kfay]

Computer has been out of commission. Here is the full deal as I remember it.

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[TheoKole]

I believe the best play for 13 tricks, while retaining good chances for 12 is win with A ♣ and pull trumps.

If trumps break then, play a ♣ to the K, ♠ A dumping a club from hand and a club ruff, if clubs break 3-3 then use ♦ K entry in dummy for ♦ discard on the long ♣.

If clubs break 4-2 or worse, play off all your trumps throwing 2 diamonds and spades from dummy, playing or the following ending.

♠ Q
♥ ---
♦ Kx
♣ 9

and in your hand

♠ ---
♥ x
♦ Axx
♣ ---

If LHO started with 6 - 2 - 1 - 4 (and chose not to lead his singleton) or 6 - 2 - 0 - 5 distribution then discard the club and hope that RHO has the ♠ K and is squeezed on this card. If you have seen that RHO has the long clubs then play LHO for the ♠ K and there should be a double squeeze on the last trump.

If the ♠ K has not appeared from LHO then dump the ♠ Q from dummy and LHO should now be squeezed in the minors.

If trumps don't break then give opps their trump trick, most likely RHO and see what they return ( best for the defense would seem to be a ♦ ).

If RHO does return a ♦ then you win with the A in hand and must decide how to continue from here.

Do you play LHO to be 6 - 1 - 3 - 3, 6 - 1 - 4 - 2 with J10 clubs ( in this case a ruffing finesse will work against RHO) or (6 - 1 - 1 - 5 with the K ♠ did the ♣ Q appear from RHO on the lead?), in this case you should cross to the ♦ K, play the ♠ A, throwing a ♦ from your hand and ruffing a ♦. Play all your trumps for a simple squeeze in the black suits against LHO.

If LHO has long clubs (6 - 1 - 2 - 4) you will be down because RHO will have returned his now singleton Q ♣, thereby breaking up the squeeze you have on his partner.

There seems to be some possible ruffing squeezes on this hand but I'll let somebody else analyze those.

Cheers,

Theo