[manudude03]

---

I didn't think this was too hard, but might have been influenced by the fact I was dummy. Partner ended -2.
South leads the ♥K. Plan the play.

[kenrexford]

The only risk seems to be spades 5-0, but diamonds 5-0 could become a problem. Playing the spade Ace first handles 5-0 with north having 5. The only way to cater to both is to lead the spade intermediate from east and let it ride if south follows. But, to do that, you have to cross in diamonds at trick 2, which risks a 5-0 either way in diamonds, or north with 4 diamonds and the spade Queen, and not Qxxx. Running the spade 9 at trick 2 if North follows gains nothing over Ace first when north has 5, and rising with the King when south has 5 leaves south in control anyway. So, I see no reason for anything but the normal spade Ace spade x line unless you have a read.

Now, if the x is not covered, we rise king anyway. If spades split 22, you just get 12 tricks with the late club ruff, after cashing out everything else. If North started with Qxxx, you need him to have three diamonds, obviously. But, you still run into a problem.

So, you probably are better hooking the spade at trick 3. If spades are 32 and the hook works, all is good. If 32 and the hook fails, you may survive if south started qx. But, you probably have a better chance if you clear that club ace first. So, I think the best is to cash club ace after spade ace, and then the spade. I am willing to pay to stiff clubs and thus spade 9 for me.

[kenberg]

If we bring in the spades we have 5+1+5+1 =12 tricks. If we don't bring in the spades, we need a club ruff.

I think there is potential for clever opponents here.

Heart ace, club ace, small spade from the board.

Cases:

I .The spade Q appears.
I take it, small spade back to the ace draw trump. I get five spades, five diamonds, two side aces.

II. Low spade on my right. I play the T, losing to the Q.
Spades are no worse than 4-1, and 3 are still out.
If the high heart comes back I ruff low in my hand, ruff the club high, lead the last trump back to my KJ8. I draw the trumps, run diamonds tossing two clubs from my hand.
Or maybe a spade comes back. Win it in hand, ruff a club with the ace, ruff a heart low (I am trusting that the heart double was not on the stiff king) draw trump, etc.
If a diamond or a club is returned trick 4, I ruff the club high and draw trump, or I win the diamond, ruff the club high and draw trump.

III. Low spade on my right and the T holds, lho following low. This seems to me to be the tricky part. It's natural to lead a spade to the ace, expecting to claim. I won't be happy if rho shows out, meaning lho declined to produce his Q from Qxxx. Now I will be down, or at least it is likely.If I try running diamonds immediately. he ruffs and leads another trump, killing my ruff. If I come to my hand with a diamond and ruff, now there are no more trump on the board and when lho wnis a trump he cashes a club.


Maybe I misunderstand the KR line, but if it goes heart ace, club ace, spade ace then spade to the J it won't be good if a third spade comes back. There are only 11 tricks after the spade hook fails so you need the club ruff, right?

I think that the line I suggest is going to work unless lho started with Qxxx and was very clever. I do not want to go down playing for that lie and that cleverness, so as far as I can see, when the T holds I play small to the Ace. I congratulate him if indeed he played low with Qxxx. I could have prevailed by leading small to the 9, but that seems very hard to explain if rho produces the Q and another trump.

If when I lead a small spade from the board at trick 3 shows out, I guess I am going down. But it's mps, so I need to think of what to do.
Speaking of Trump, the Donald is on, I suppose I must watch.

[nige1]

manudude03 asks "I didn't think this was too hard, but might have been influenced by the fact I was dummy. Partner ended -2.South leads the ♥K. Plan the play."
I guess ♥A. ♣A. Run ♠9. If LHO win's ♠Q then win the return, ruff a ♣, and claim.
If both follow and ♠9 wins then finesse ♠T.
If that wins and and ♠s are 3-2 or 4-1, then claim.
If LHO takes ♠T with ♠Q and returns a ♠, then unless ♥Q ruffs out, you are 1 down but not 2 down
If LHO shows out on ♠9, then, (as Gib indicates left), you can sometime survive by cashing some ♦s and cross-ruffing.

---

[kenberg]

I was vacillating over whether, at T3, to run the spade 9 or lead a small spade. With the layout above, I think 6S still can come in after lho shows out on the small spade to the T, but I Gib says you can bring in all 13 tricks by starting with the 9. I'll take his word for it. 6S making would probably score pretty well anyway given the 5-0.