[pescetom]

MP

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Sitting in W, after an optimistic opening you end up in another thin slam.
N is a sound player, S a beginner: like you they play 2/1 with three weak twos, both remaining silent during this auction.
North leads ♥Q, standard agreements.
How do you plan to proceed and in particular how do you tackle the spades?

[AL78]

My thinking is to double finesse in spades, running the queen and if it loses to the king, run the ten. I haven't worked out all the odds and suit combinations but as long as one of the finesses works, you can set up the fourth spade on any 3-3 break and some 4-2 breaks.

[pescetom]

AL78, on 2023-May-02, 07:39, said:

My thinking is to double finesse in spades, running the queen and if it loses to the king, run the ten. I haven't worked out all the odds and suit combinations but as long as one of the finesses works, you can set up the fourth spade on any 3-3 break and some 4-2 breaks.

Yes, I think it's clear that we need to lose only one spade trick and set up the fourth spade to pitch a club, so the issue is how to finesse.
The lead seems to suggest hearts split 5-4 leaving one less space for spades in North; more important I figured it makes North holding both spade honours or perhaps even King unlikely (he would probably have interfered over 1♦, given 3 HCP in hearts, 4(3) in spades and quite likely 1(2) in clubs).

[Cyberyeti]

pescetom, on 2023-May-02, 10:21, said:

Yes, I think it's clear that we need to lose only one spade trick and set up the fourth spade to pitch a club, so the issue is how to finesse.
The lead seems to suggest hearts split 5-4 leaving one less space for spades in North; more important I figured it makes North holding both spade honours or perhaps even King unlikely (he would probably have interfered over 1♦, given 3 HCP in hearts, 4(3) in spades and quite likely 1(2) in clubs).

Why on earth does the lead suggest 5-4 ? You never specified which card S played and what it meant. S could even have K 6th and out with N having KJx, QJ10, xxx, QJxx

[mikeh]

Would a beginner duck, holding the King, if we tackled spades by leading low towards our hand? Even if he or she did, as is almost surely best, few beginners would do so smoothly.

So, win the heart, pull trump ending in dummy and lead a low spade.

It’s probably the technically best line anyway. If south plays low without apparent thought, insert the 10. If that loses to the Jack, run the Queen next time.

[pescetom]

Cyberyeti, on 2023-May-02, 11:08, said:

Why on earth does the lead suggest 5-4 ? You never specified which card S played and what it meant. S could even have K 6th and out with N having KJx, QJ10, xxx, QJxx

Fair point.
S played the 3, probably positive attitude.

[Cyberyeti]

pescetom, on 2023-May-02, 11:41, said:

Fair point.
S played the 3, probably positive attitude.

Really ? Often signalling style switches when dummy has a stiff, particularly a stiff A. To me would suggest club cards so I'd play the leader for the spade. Will find out who has the trumps next.

[pescetom]

Cyberyeti, on 2023-May-02, 12:49, said:

Really ? Often signalling style switches when dummy has a stiff, particularly a stiff A. To me would suggest club cards so I'd play the leader for the spade. Will find out who has the trumps next.

S is a beginner, would have no idea what you are talking about.

[pescetom]

mikeh, on 2023-May-02, 11:15, said:

Would a beginner duck, holding the King, if we tackled spades by leading low towards our hand? Even if he or she did, as is almost surely best, few beginners would do so smoothly.

So, win the heart, pull trump ending in dummy and lead a low spade.

It’s probably the technically best line anyway. If south plays low without apparent thought, insert the 10. If that loses to the Jack, run the Queen next time.

Low from dummy towards the ten was my thought too.
South did not flinch.

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[bluenikki]

Cyberyeti, on 2023-May-02, 12:49, said:

Really ? Often signalling style switches when dummy has a stiff, particularly a stiff A. To me would suggest club cards so I'd play the leader for the spade. Will find out who has the trumps next.

I think that's an inferior agreement in general. (Because you may not want partner to break either of the other two.)

But defending a slam it's suicidal.

[the hog]

Win, draw trumps and play a low S to QTx. This puts pressure on South.

[Cyberyeti]

bluenikki, on 2023-May-02, 17:37, said:

I think that's an inferior agreement in general. (Because you may not want partner to break either of the other two.)

But defending a slam it's suicidal.

We don't use it, we signal count all the time, and often don't bother in slams, but I'm aware others do. It can be vital though to give partner an indication of which suit he can abandon when declarer rumbles the trumps.

[pescetom]

mikeh, on 2023-May-02, 11:15, said:

So, win the heart, pull trump ending in dummy and lead a low spade.

It’s probably the technically best line anyway. If south plays low without apparent thought, insert the 10. If that loses to the Jack, run the Queen next time.

Does everyone agree that this is technically the best line?
A priori I imagine it just over 50%, harder to put a number on running the Q and then 7 towards 9.

[bluenikki]

Cyberyeti, on 2023-May-03, 01:39, said:

It can be vital though to give partner an indication of which suit he can abandon when declarer rumbles the trumps.

Or again it can be vital to avoid helping declarer locate honors.

[johnu]

pescetom, on 2023-May-03, 15:21, said:

Does everyone agree that this is technically the best line?
A priori I imagine it just over 50%, harder to put a number on running the Q and then 7 towards 9.

It's very close but Suitplay says low to the 10 is 56.2% while running the Q is 53.8%