[CSGibson]

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Your partner (me) has driven you to this slam, but you get a ♣J lead, so you still have a lot of options. RHO follows with the ♣9. These are intermediate level players.

What is your line?

[SteveMoe]

I'm allergic to finesses.
♣A then ♣ruff
♦A then ♣ruff
♦K then ♦ruff
♠AK pitching 4th ♦
leaving 5 top trumps.

Giving up to 2-5 Diamonds with the trump 9 in the short hand.

Say, do we qualify for D20 if we get all these hands right???

NOTE: completely missed the 3♣ bid by West. Rethinking.

[CSGibson]

SteveMoe, on 2012-October-29, 21:36, said:

I'm allergic to finesses.
♣A then ♣ruff
♦A then ♣ruff
♦K then ♦ruff
♠AK pitching 4th ♦
leaving 5 top trumps.

Giving up to 2-5 Diamonds with the trump 9 in the short hand.

Say, do we qualify for D20 if we get all these hands right???

You don't have to worry about it, it doesn't apply to you .

My partner and I got some right & some wrong in both flights. If we get all of them right, we win both flights, so I'm indulging myself by alternately kicking myself by posting the bad ones & trying to remember some of the tough decisions we had that put us in a position to win in the first place. As is, we finished 5th in B & 3rd in the open (different partners). Because of the baggage involved in having 4 concurrent sites for the NAP finals, though, it turns out that my partner and I are first alternate in both B & open if any of the 3 pairs invited to nationals decline to accept in either flight.

[SteveMoe]

CSGibson, on 2012-October-29, 21:48, said:

You don't have to worry about it, it doesn't apply to you .

My partner and I got some right & some wrong in both flights. If we get all of them right, we win both flights, so I'm indulging myself by alternately kicking myself by posting the bad ones & trying to remember some of the tough decisions we had that put us in a position to win in the first place. As is, we finished 5th in B & 3rd in the open (different partners). Because of the baggage involved in having 4 concurrent sites for the NAP finals, though, it turns out that my partner and I are first alternate in both B & open if any of the 3 pairs invited to nationals decline to accept in either flight.

Congrats of sorts - we managed 6th. Don't think 3 have ever dropped out from D11 before>

[SteveMoe]

Take II

I'm still allergic to finesses.
If East holds 4♦ the ♥9 and ♠s split 3-2/2-3 we can get home by:
♣A then ♣ ruff.
♦A then ♦K and ♦ ruff.
{spades] AK pitching the 3rd ♣ then
♠ ruff then ♦ruff, holding our breath a little.
If the ♥8 survives, we have 13 tricks.

[quiddity]

SteveMoe, on 2012-October-29, 22:27, said:

Take II

I'm still allergic to finesses.
If East holds 4♦ the ♥9 and ♠s split 3-2/2-3 we can get home by:
♣A then ♣ ruff.
♦A then ♦K and ♦ ruff.
{spades] AK pitching the 3rd ♣ then
♠ ruff then ♦ruff, holding our breath a little.
If the ♥8 survives, we have 13 tricks.

If East has four diamonds you can execute a double squeeze by running trumps after the first diamond ruff. West guards clubs, East guards diamonds, and no one can guard spades. This also works if East has five diamonds along with the ♥9.

[CSGibson]

Steve's 2nd line and quiddity's line of play both work. My partner chose Steve's first line, hoping that the person with the long clubs also had the 9 of hearts if the clubs were 7-2.

[SteveMoe]

CSGibson, on 2012-October-30, 18:17, said:

Steve's 2nd line and quiddity's line of play both work. My partner chose Steve's first line, hoping that the person with the long clubs also had the 9 of hearts if the clubs were 7-2.

Nice solution by Quiddity - Hats off! Avoids the risk of placing the ♥9 completely.