[Phil]

---

The lead is a low club, 6, Q, A.

IS there anything you can do if hearts don't break as you hope?

[MrAce]

Phil, on 2016-December-07, 23:38, said:

---

The lead is a low club, 6, Q, A.

IS there anything you can do if hearts don't break as you hope?

Win the lead.
Cash 1 ♦. Play ♥ If they win and K/O ♠A, cash remaining diamond and ruff 4th ♥ from N if hearts are not 3-3.

This is why they will duck the first ♥, ruff a club and play ♥K. If W wins and gives East a ruff

a-You gain if E ruffed from 3 diamonds. As he is ruffing to the small ♥ you make 1 extra trick (2 extra if you can guess he ruffed from 3 diamonds but that is hard to know)
b-If he ruffed from doubleton you still make an extra trick. Win the ♠ shift and play 4th ♥ discarding ♠. Play spade now. Rest is easy. If he exits ♦ play x-ruff

[Cyberyeti]

Can't you play a "dummy reversal".

Ruff a club, diamond to the A, club ruff, diamond to the K, club ruff, heart.

[MrAce]

Cyberyeti, on 2016-December-08, 03:10, said:

Can't you play a "dummy reversal".

Ruff a club, diamond to the A, club ruff, diamond to the K, club ruff, heart.

You can. You drop to 8 tricks if W has 2 clubs+2 dia but so will I.

I think I can still make 9 tricks when W is something like 2443. You drop to 8 when you play 2nd ♦ due to 4-1 break and ♥ A still being out when they over ruff 4th club.

[Phil]

MrAce, on 2016-December-08, 02:16, said:

Win the lead.
Cash 1 ♦. Play ♥ If they win and K/O ♠A, cash remaining diamond and ruff 4th ♥ from N if hearts are not 3-3.

This is why they will duck the first ♥, ruff a club and play ♥K. If W wins and gives East a ruff

a-You gain if E ruffed from 3 diamonds. As he is ruffing to the small ♥ you make 1 extra trick (2 extra if you can guess he ruffed from 3 diamonds but that is hard to know)
b-If he ruffed from doubleton you still make an extra trick. Win the ♠ shift and play 4th ♥ discarding ♠. Play spade now. Rest is easy. If he exits ♦ play x-ruff

East actually held 3=4=3=3.

See where I'm going with this?

[Phil]

By the way my layout isn't the,one where my envisioned play is needed.

I think I need more like

Axx
Qxx
AKx
Axxx

Xx
KJxx
Xxxxx
Xx

[MrAce]

Phil, on 2016-December-08, 05:14, said:

East actually held 3=4=3=3.

See where I'm going with this?

I do not see it bro.


The way I played in my first reply, i make when E or W has 3433 and when either of them has 2-2 reds, 4-2 reds. Where did I go wrong?

I play the same line regardless of what they have.

♣A
♦A
♥Q (they duck)

♣ruff

♥K (or J)

I already wrote how I would continue in various exits by them.

[nige1]

Phil's layout simplified and adjusted to make South declarer and ♠s trumps.
The theme is new to me.

Gib claims an overtrick on any defence.
After ♣A, ♠K, Gib continues with ♥Q (key-play), as Mr Ace suggests:
If LHO wins, then you can draw a 2nd round of trumps, and ruff a ♥

---

[Zelandakh]

I would start by ruffing a club and playing a heart to the queen. Seems to keep all the options open compared to the alternative lines (♣ ruff -> ♦A or playing immediately on hearts).

[alok c]

MrAce, on 2016-December-08, 06:00, said:

I do not see it bro.


The way I played in my first reply, i make when E or W has 3433 and when either of them has 2-2 reds, 4-2 reds. Where did I go wrong?

I play the same line regardless of what they have.

♣A
♦A
♥Q (they duck)

♣ruff

♥K (or J)

I already wrote how I would continue in various exits by them.

Imo
1)♣A
2)♥Q if they take rest is easy 9 tricks
2)♥Q they duck
3)♣ruff
4)♦A
5)♣ruff
6)♦K
7)♣ruff
8)♥K,they will yield atleast 2 more tricks

[Phil]

WD,Nigel. The hQ early is the key. If they duck you can lead to the KJ twice and if they win you have timing to ruff heart.

This doesn't work when LHO has four hearts.

Timo your play works well on the 1st layout.

[broze]

Nice. There are similar themes in the Rodwell files where a threat of "Chinese finessing" the opponent is combined with other threats. If they duck the HQ this is essentially a Chinese finesse.

[kuhchung]

Yeah I was about to comment that maybe it has been written up in the Rodwell Files

[Zelandakh]

Phil, on 2016-December-08, 09:20, said:

WD,Nigel. The hQ early is the key.

Perhaps I am being thick here but what is the advantage in playing ♥Q -> ♣ ruff rather than ♣ ruff -> ♥Q? Perhaps you could post the full hand, possibly with different configurations for the defence, so that the non-Rainers of us can see the trick more clearly...

[Caitlynne]

I am not sure what the problem is as the contract is in no danger.

I think I would plan on a dummy reverse plan, however.

I win the club lead with the Ace, ruff a club in hand, return to dummy with a diamond, ruff another club in hand, return to dummy with the second high diamond, and ruff dummy's last club. I am sure of 2 diamonds, 2 hearts, 1 spade, 1 club, and 2 club ruffs - that is 8 tricks. If the diamonds behave by splitting 3-2, I am assured of 9 tricks - either a successful third club ruff or (if overruffed) or the third diamond in dummy will be good. If the hearts break 3-3 as well, I will take 10 tricks as I will be able to discard one of dummy's spade losers on the long heart.