[kayin801]

(4♠)-P-(P)-4NT
(P)-5♦-AP

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Pick-up-and-play game, so no vul or scoring format is decided upon, and bidding is wanky.

Trick 1: ♠ 9-x-KING-jack
Ttrick 2: ♠ ACE-queen-?

How do we get partner to lead a third spade through? Assume that the spots are such that you can signal that you like or dislike any suit.

I thought about ♥Q, but you might make the same discard from solid hearts to the Q or something similar, so I'm not sure if there's anything better.

[jdonn]

Why not simply a discouraging heart? We should assume partner can work out a club can't be right, and it's easy for him to see how another spade could be.

[W Kovacs]

But a heart lead doesn't hurt you. Declarer needs to ruff one heart in dummy regardless of the play. One heart loser goes on the Q♣. Once a low diamond is gone from dummy, declarer can only finesse you once for the Q♦, and you'll score a trump trick eventually.

In fact, the club lead doesn't hurt, either. Declarer is going to take the K, A and Q for a heart discard no matter what.

The only way for declarer to MAKE this contract is if partner leads a spade, declarer ruffs with the 8♦ and you cover with the Q.

[kayin801]

W Kovacs, on Oct 7 2010, 12:08 PM, said:

But a heart lead doesn't hurt you.  Declarer needs to ruff one heart in dummy regardless of the play.  One heart loser goes on the Q♣.  Once a low diamond is gone from dummy, declarer can only finesse you once for the Q♦, and you'll score a trump trick eventually.

If declarer wins a high heart and plays K, A and ruffs a club he/she can always draw trumps ending in dummy via a first round diamond finesse and then gets the club Q and a long club. This will also be the only line if declarer opts to hook a diamond at trick 4.

I guess a small heart seems right in retrospect, not sure if this is a better single dummy problem then double dummy. If I had only shown the W and N hands I'm not sure if it would be any different.

[bid_em_up]

W Kovacs, on Oct 7 2010, 03:08 PM, said:

But a heart lead doesn't hurt you. Declarer needs to ruff one heart in dummy regardless of the play. One heart loser goes on the Q♣. Once a low diamond is gone from dummy, declarer can only finesse you once for the Q♦, and you'll score a trump trick eventually.

In fact, the club lead doesn't hurt, either. Declarer is going to take the K, A and Q for a heart discard no matter what.

The only way for declarer to MAKE this contract is if partner leads a spade, declarer ruffs with the 8♦ and you cover with the Q.

Look closer.

The hand can always be made on a heart or club return.

Declarer will never ruff a heart. He will pitch one on the club Q and another on the 5th club.

[jdonn]

The point isn't whether it can be made or not, the point is how to signal to get partner to do what you want him to.

[rhm]

First the hand can be made against any continuation and is not very difficult either.
Second on a deal like this the ♥queen should deny the king and ace and therefor show a disinterest in a switch to ♥.
Showing a ♥ sequence headed by the queen is not of any significance to this deal, but whether to continue ♠ or switch to ♥ is.
If West held the ♦9 instead of the ♦7 a ♠ continuation would be necessary

Rainer Herrmann

[wank]

it is difficult, mainly because it's unmakeable unless dummy has the 5 of trumps

[rhm]

wank, on Oct 8 2010, 10:19 PM, said:

it is difficult, mainly because it's unmakeable unless dummy has the 5 of trumps

So tell us how you plan to beat this contract, assuming AK32 in dummy.

Rainer Herrmann

[kayin801]

rhm, on Oct 11 2010, 01:24 AM, said:

wank, on Oct 8 2010, 10:19 PM, said:

it is difficult, mainly because it's unmakeable unless dummy has the 5 of trumps

So tell us how you plan to beat this contract, assuming AK32 in dummy.

Rainer Herrmann

On the 3rd spade declarer can't ruff in dummy, otherwise the Q of diamonds will always score. And the timing for a cross-ruff doesn't work out. If declarer ruffs in hand, then W can safely pitch 2 hearts and South can't set up the clubs AND draw trumps without promoting the diamond 7 in the W hand.

If declarer ever tries to ruff a heart in dummy he promotes a trump trick for W as well.

[bid_em_up]

kayin801, on Oct 11 2010, 12:46 PM, said:

rhm, on Oct 11 2010, 01:24 AM, said:

wank, on Oct 8 2010, 10:19 PM, said:

it is difficult, mainly because it's unmakeable unless dummy has the 5 of trumps

So tell us how you plan to beat this contract, assuming AK32 in dummy.

Rainer Herrmann

On the 3rd spade declarer can't ruff in dummy, otherwise the Q of diamonds will always score. And the timing for a cross-ruff doesn't work out. If declarer ruffs in hand, then W can safely pitch 2 hearts and South can't set up the clubs AND draw trumps without promoting the diamond 7 in the W hand.

If declarer ever tries to ruff a heart in dummy he promotes a trump trick for W as well.

Huh?

Look closer.

[matmat]

Fun hand.

Ruff the third spade in hand low.
If west does not overruff then pitch a heart from dummy. finesse against the ♦q twice, if no cover, cash your hearts, pitching a club, and club tops, ruff a club and you are home.

if west does overruff, you overruff, cross over in hearts and finesse the ♦q. if W covers the first time you win, cash the other heart, ruff a heart, cash three clubs, pitching a heart, ruff a club to hand and claim the rest.

if west does not cover the first time, then play four rounds of clubs, ruffing the fourth, draw trump and claim.

what am i missing?

edit -- guess you don't even have to ruff low.

[kayin801]

Bridge is too hard.

Missed this one: Suppose no overruff, then covering the 2nd diamond allows heart, heart, heart ruff (W pitching club), cash diamond A, club K, last trump, and you're home.