[Cascade]

How would you rule on these two claims. I have deliberately left the details vague in both cases because I am not primarily interested in the particular cases both of which were played in a tournament a week ago. In neither hand was the director called.

1.

Contract 6♥

♥ AKJx

♥ xxxx

There is a side ace to lose and this trump suit to negotiate.

Declarer plays the ace and leads towards the KJ with LHO showing out. Declarer immediately concedes (or claims if you like) two-off losing the side ace and two trump tricks.

No problems so far you think.

Turns out declarer's trumps are Txxx and declarer has forgotten about his ten.

The defender potentially could score both trump tricks if declarer played a side suit unnecessarily and was able to ruff with the small trump.

This requires declarer to not notice the ten while freely playing three rounds of the side suit.

How do you rule? Please mention any additional factors you would take into consideration.

2.

Contract 3♥

♠ Txx

♠ Jxxx

Declarer in a 4=4 fit loses a trick early then draws trumps which were 3=2 and concedes three spades. There is a place to park the fourth spade if necessary.

One opponent has ♠AK and so would have to concede a ruff and sluff.

Is there any situation in which you would not award an additional trick to declarer. Basically declarer would need to play off the fourth round of trumps and all the other winners first before losing the 'three' spades in order to not get another trick.

[gnasher]

1 is easy: the defenders get two tricks. If declarer didn't know he had ♥10 when he claimed, there's no reason to assume he'd notice it later. Given that he thought RHO had Q10xx, the natural way to play, or at least a natural way, is to cash the top trumps and then play side-suit winners.

2 is harder: the losing line sounds rather unnatural, but it might pass the test of being "normal". I'd like to be able to award a weighted score. Since I can't do that, I'd rule one down, without much enthusiasm.

[FrancesHinden]

1. I agree with gnasher that is the ruling I would give (assuming that the hand with 4 trumps doesn't have to follow to all the side suit winners e.g. everyone is 3433). However, I think some people would give declarer an extra trick if the only way RHO can ruff a side suit is when a winner is played from dummy and declarer is out of the suit i.e. would be able to over-ruff any low ruff. I don't entirely agree with this, but I think it's a common approach.

2. Declarer obviously has a blind spot if he really hasn't realised that the spades could be blocked. He doesn't have to play off all his side winners, just the 4th trump. And he might do that in the hope of generating a spade discard if he really doesn't see the genuine line, so I agree with one off. This might feel 'harsh' to declarer, but if he thinks so then he should analyse the play better before claiming.

[ahydra]

Why is declarer one off in the second one? If he's lost one trick and concedes three spades, he makes his 3♥. And I wouldn't award him another trick unless all lines that involved losing three spades were downright irrational/stupid. Here, if declarer just says "I give you three spades", then cashing the trumps/everything else first is a sufficiently "careless or inferior" line and so declarer loses his three spade tricks.

Can't help but brag - passed the TD exam today with distinction

ahydra

[gordontd]

ahydra, on 2012-July-15, 13:12, said:

passed the TD exam today with distinction

ahydra

Congratulations!

[FrancesHinden]

ahydra, on 2012-July-15, 13:12, said:

Why is declarer one off in the second one? If he's lost one trick and concedes three spades, he makes his 3♥. And I wouldn't award him another trick unless all lines that involved losing three spades were downright irrational/stupid. Here, if declarer just says "I give you three spades", then cashing the trumps/everything else first is a sufficiently "careless or inferior" line and so declarer loses his three spade tricks.

Can't help but brag - passed the TD exam today with distinction

ahydra

I assumed gnasher was capable of counting tricks. I was wrong.
I should have said "I would rule he loses 3 spade tricks", that would have been safe.

[campboy]

ahydra, on 2012-July-15, 13:12, said:

Can't help but brag - passed the TD exam today with distinction

Congratulations

I agree that both hands just get the number claimed.