[zheddh]

Scoring: IMP

You have an uncontested auction to 6H

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EDIT: West leads 3 of clubs. South is the declarer after North opens a Precision 1♣. This is a 10 board IMP Pairs tournament on BBO with 29 tables playing.

[Fluffy]

I will make the spade finese sooner or later, so lets try just now, ♣A, ♣ ruff ♠ fiense.

[billw55]

.. but if the ♣K drops on a couple ruffs, I won't need the spade finesse. So I will try that before finessing.

[bid_em_up]

billw55, on Sep 15 2009, 12:35 PM, said:

.. but if the ♣K drops on a couple ruffs, I won't need the spade finesse.

Yes you will, unless you seriously believe trumps are 2-2 on this hand. Somehow, I don't think the question would be posted if that was the case.

Edit:

If trumps are 2-2, you will not need the spade finesse, but you will when trumps are 3-1. And you cannot cash the AK trumps to find out, because then it will be too late. The spade finesse must be taken first. So........

A clubs, club ruff, spade to the J.....if it loses, then we play for 2-2 trumps (and I think spades will have to be 3-3 also).

If it wins, club ruff (has the club king dropped?),

If the club K has dropped, we cash the heart AK and claim 6 or 7, depending on the trump break.

Otherwise, cash the Ace of hearts, spade to the king, and lead dummies last club:

When clubs are 4-4, RHO will follow to this trick, as you ruff with your remaining small trump, Ace of diamonds, ruff a diamond, heart K, and again claim 6 or 7 depending on the trump break

If clubs are 5-3 (LHO starting with 5), and RHO pitches, ruff, followed by Ace of diamonds, ruff diamond, and claim as above.

If clubs are 5-3 (LHO starting with 5) and RHO Ruffs, then pitch a spade or diamond. Win whatever he returns, play the king of hearts (hearts were either 2-2 or 3-1 and RHO ruffed with a natural trump trick) and claim 6.

If clubs are 3-5, we ruff and LHO:

Discards. Ace of diamonds, diamond ruff and claim.

Overruffs. At this point, I think the only return he could possibly make that will hurt us would be a third spade, where his partner started with a doubleton trump and a doubleton spade.

If thats the case, I think I just have to accept defeat.

(Anybody got a better line? I'm sure there is one.)

[barmar]

And you can't afford to test trumps first, because you're very likely to need 3 ♣ ruffs.

Is there any chance the lead could be from the ♣K? Or even if the ♣ finesse loses, maybe the J will fall on the 3rd round. If neither of these works, you still have 2-2 trumps and the ♠ finesse to fall back on.