[wizards]

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In a team match, bidding as shown. Opp's playing 2/1 like system.

First lead ♦10 ♦6 ♦A ♦J
Partner return ♠Q ♠A ?

Your choice?

Comments welcome

[robert2734]

In a team game I'll keep my king because I'm not interested in extra undertricks. Say declarer takes the club finesse putting me in. I'll happily cash the king of spades and no worries.

[Cyberyeti]

robert2734, on 2016-March-19, 11:05, said:

In a team game I'll keep my king because I'm not interested in extra undertricks. Say declarer takes the club finesse putting me in. I'll happily cash the king of spades and no worries.

Say declarer draws trumps in one round, cashes the diamond and exits to your K♠ to lead into his ♣AQ or give him a ruff and discard.

[robert2734]

Why does declarer play me for the king of clubs and blocked spades? Why doesn't he take the club finesse? If declarer is that smart I have to pay him off. If declarer has S A9xx and I unblock the king, he knocks out the jack of spades and pitches his club, no thinking necessary. It's worth asking how high level is this game.

[eagles123]

I don't see the disadvantage to unblocking, even if declarer decides to finesse clubs rather than endplay us, p has the J of spade anyway

[rmnka447]

+1 for Cyberyeti.

[Cyberyeti]

robert2734, on 2016-March-19, 12:05, said:

Why does declarer play me for the king of clubs and blocked spades? Why doesn't he take the club finesse? If declarer is that smart I have to pay him off. If declarer has S A9xx and I unblock the king, he knocks out the jack of spades and pitches his club, no thinking necessary. It's worth asking how high level is this game.

Well partner may not have returned the Q without the 9.

If declarer doesn't have 10♣, the finesse gains him nothing, he can take it later, so can hope for the spade blockage before taking it.

[wizards]

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Sitting at North side, Partner DT D9 DA DJ

What would you to find the extra two tricks?
That either comes from 1C/1S or 2S ,since partner didn't lead a CA/K, 2C tricks is not likely.

If you need 1C/1S, return a club/spade at this moment has not much of difference.
If you need 2S, return a spade should do the job.

Problem is what kind of Spade you think partner posses?
If partner has something SA98x, return of SQ yields one more trick.

Who should you to blame on this tragedy?

[Cyberyeti]

wizards, on 2016-March-19, 21:54, said:

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Sitting at North side, Partner DT D9 DA DJ

What would you to find the extra two tricks?
That either comes from 1C/1S or 2S ,since partner didn't lead a CA/K, 2C tricks is not likely.

If you need 1C/1S, return a club/spade at this moment has not much of difference.
If you need 2S, return a spade should do the job.

Problem is what kind of Spade you think partner posses?
If partner has something SA98x, return of SQ yields one more trick.

Who should you to blame on this tragedy?

I return a small spade from that if I return a spade at all, not completely without risk, but I can see the problem on the horizon of the unblock. If declarer reads it correctly, he's always making whichever spade you return if he has AKxx and A♣ or Kx.

[robert2734]

So declarer did actually have the dreaded S A9XX. That's funny. South should hold on to the king even at risk of being endplayed double dummy. At the table they won't find it.

If partner has 9X of spades, a spade return (any) blows the contract. I suggest returning partners lead of a diamond paying off if declarer has S KX H AKxxxx D J C AKXX. Most of the time, the lead of the diamond ten suggests declarer has D QJ and doesn't even have a pitch.