[MickyB]

SQ lead

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[bluecalm]

It's hard to analyze the whole thing now but it seems the biggest danger is a heart switch which may make testing our chances in the minors impossible. I take the first trick and try clubs. My plan is to duck 2nd trick if something interesting pops on the left. I will think about various end positions later.

[gszes]

win the spade K and play a low club toward the 7. This should give me
a chance to try for 33 clubs 33 dia or the heart A onside. The exact details of
play will depend mostly on how the defense proceeds.

[FrancesHinden]

These lines give up on the ace of hearts onside.

There is the very simple line of using your two dummy entries to lead towards the KQ of hearts, and failing that playing for diamonds 3-3 (as long as you haven't lost too many heart tricks)
Clubs 3-3 is less likely.

p.s. I know the layout

[SteveMoe]

We could duck the lead, then win the continuation with an eye toward leading twice toward the ♥KQ. The duck helps either when ♠s are 3-3 (not out of the question) or when Lefty is 4=2=4=3.

[MickyB]

Yes, I ducked the lead, I don't know if that was right - thoughts?

The spade jack is continued, and RHO pitches a diamond. You win, and...?

[Codo]

still a club.. To the 7 or 9 if this is sufficent. If not, I win the ace and play a heart.

[c_corgi]

The diamond discard suggests 3-3 or 1-5. In the 1-5 case we may need to use both entries to finesse against East's J10. I try a heart honour, hoping to get a read on the position or induce a misdefence

[the hog]

Win the S. D to the Q, H to the K. If this holds C to the A H to the Q. If One of my H does not stand up I still have the chance of a 3-3 D break.

[MickyB]

Deleted

[MickyB]

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Sorry, I don't know how to put the play in a diagram.

SQ ducked
SJ, RHO pitching a diamond, won

I cashed the AK of diamonds to see if they broke - no need to preserve a finesse position after the pitch.

When they didn't, I played three rounds of clubs. If they are 3-3, I'm home.

With four clubs with West, I can pitch my long diamond from hand. LHO can't play a spade, can't set up my clubs, so has to play a heart. If she has the jack I'm home. If she doesn't, I cross to the DQ and lead a heart to the queen, either it scores a trick or LHO is endplayed to lead a spade. [Thanks PhilKing, I initially said I would have to guess where the heart ace is at this point].

As it was, she pitched the HA hoping her partner had the queen.

Edit: Damn, thought I was making if RHO had four clubs and HA, but when I throw him in to lead the second round of hearts for me he cashes out for one off!

Not sure this was the right line, but it was prettier than leading upto the hearts twice

[Cameron_1]

Had a similar experience vs Holland and Green where after ducking spade Rho pitched a low attitude heart which had to be from 5 so early in the play and without any nice minor breaks this only leaves 1552. So cashed K clubs and ducked then they switched to a low heart which I ducked to the 10 only danger AJx hearts in Lho but the low switch rules that out. Making 10 on a black squeeze vs lho. Regardless don't really get the urgency to play up to kq hearts when you ave so much squeeze potential, you need to duck some tricks to tighten the position.

[PhilKing]

MickyB, on 2012-September-25, 04:26, said:

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IMO it would take world-class [or better?] defence to not give away the position.

In the four card ending you describe (which they cannot avoid), playing a second heart is safe, even against Benito Rodstroth.

West is down to ♠T8 ♥? ♦- ♣Q, and East has only one diamond winner.

In fact, I think almost any slow line works - the people suggesting some sort of a club duck will probably make nine tricks. Leading hearts up twice makes me shudder.

[MickyB]

Yes, you are quite right, for some reason I had in my head that I should throw West in with a club, not a heart.

The line taken on vg, supposedly [win first spade, duck first club] was off DD on a club back, and was off completely once declarer had misguessed on the heart switch.

[PhilKing]

MickyB, on 2012-September-26, 04:17, said:

Yes, you are quite right, for some reason I had in my head that I should throw West in with a club, not a heart.

The line taken on vg, supposedly [win first spade, duck first club] was off DD on a club back, and was off completely once declarer had misguessed on the heart switch.

Ducking the first club is OK as long as you duck the first spade, even if you misguess hearts. Winning the first spade looks odd - if ever there was a hand for tightening up the position, this is it.

[MrAce]

MickyB, on 2012-September-26, 04:17, said:

Yes, you are quite right, for some reason I had in my head that I should throw West in with a club, not a heart.

I think you played the hand good and if it came to the point where West did not pitch ♥ A, as Phil said i am sure you would figure ♥ is safe, since trying to throw in with club would fail had East held the ♥A.

Good hand

[MickyB]

A world class player basically agreed with c_corgi that the diamond pitch is strongly indicative of holding five diamonds, thus I should play a diamond to the queen, intending to take the double finesse. This sounds pretty reasonable to me. Thoughts? Brian Senior was my RHO, in case this makes any difference.

[PhilKing]

MickyB, on 2012-October-01, 03:20, said:

A world class player basically agreed with c_corgi that the diamond pitch is strongly indicative of holding five diamonds, thus I should play a diamond to the queen, intending to take the double finesse. This sounds pretty reasonable to me. Thoughts? Brian Senior was my RHO, in case this makes any difference.

Why can't he be 1534?

I'm pretty sure he would pitch a diamond from that, particularly with three small ...

[gnasher]

PhilKing, on 2012-October-01, 03:47, said:

Why can't he be 1534?

I'm pretty sure he would pitch a diamond from that.

Or 1435, or 1444, or even 1525.

[PhilKing]

gnasher, on 2012-October-01, 04:10, said:

Or 1435, or 1444, or even 1525.

Indeed. 1444 is possible in that he will probably throw a diamond rather than a heart from J9xx Txxx, since his diamonds could be picked up when you have 4 anyway. It would be pretty hilarious to lose a trick to Jx after East pitches from Txxx. It's a lot less likely from JTxx.

Anyway, OP played it fine. Everyone except Helgemo misanalyses hands now and again (as evidenced by one of England's finest flooring this hand on vugraph).