[whereagles]

Matchpoints, adv opps.

Scoring: MP

South plays 3NT X after West showed the majors.

Lead:♠2 (4th best).

---

You LHO pard RHO
1NT..2♦*..dbl....2♠
3♦..pass..3NT...dbl
(all pass)

*Majors, 4-5 or better.

RHO likes to double light, but he usually knows what he's doing. How do you play?

[Fluffy]

sounds like I'll be blocked at trick 10 when LHO plays a ♣ unable cash 4th ♥ and 5th ♦.

To avoid that I need to try ♠Q from dummy at trcik 1 to play a ♦.

Edit: Damn I misscounted my tricks, And anyway playing ♠Q solves nothing.

The only thing I can protect from is a ♣ lead from West, to do so I need him not to cash the ♥A on first round. I will win ♠Q, then play a ♦ and next a ♥ hoping West hasn't got enough info already.

[Trpltrbl]

Small from dummy, little ♥ to dummy going up with the K.
Small ♦ to the hand, and small ♥ from hand.

GBB

[pclayton]

Ah..

Key to the hand is not letting LHO in too early for the club play (happy to lose 2 spades and 2 red aces). Q♠ at T1 and a diamond up. If it wins, close your eyes and play a low diamond.

LHO has: Kxxx, Axxxx, xx, xx
RHO has: Txxx, x, Ax, KJTxxxx

[pclayton]

Key to the hand is not letting LHO in too early for the club play (happy to lose 2 spades and 2 red aces). Q♠ at T1 and a diamond up. If it wins, close your eyes and play a low diamond.

LHO has: Kxxx, Axxxx, xx, xx
RHO has: Txxx, x, Ax, KJTxxxx

[PMetsch]

Tough problem, it depends on the location of ♣K. If LHO has the ♣K, then RHO double must be based on ♦AJTx. If RHO has the ♣K, then LHO has overcalled with ♠Kxxx + ♥Axxxx. I think it is more likely that the ♣K is with LHO, because RHO might have bid 3♠ with a hand like:

♠xxxx
♥x
♦Axx
♣Kxxxx

So I rise with ♠Q and run the ♦7, but it may be a disaster.

[whereagles]

PMetsch, on Oct 29 2005, 09:12 AM, said:

Tough problem, it depends on the location of ♣K. If LHO has the ♣K, then RHO double must be based on ♦AJTx. If RHO has the ♣K, then LHO has overcalled with ♠Kxxx + ♥Axxxx. I think it is more likely that the ♣K is with LHO, because RHO might have bid 3♠ with a hand like:

♠xxxx
♥x
♦Axx
♣Kxxxx

So I rise with ♠Q and run the ♦7, but it may be a disaster.

Well done! Taking the deep-finesse is the winning move!

I was South. Upon receiving the lead I went 5 mins into the tank, played the ♠Q, took a deep breath and ran the ♦9 (wanted to tempt RHO to cover). To my relief, it held. From there on it was plain sailing.

Not easy to find the solution on abstract because it requires a bit of table presence to realize RHO was doubling on the bad diamond break.

[Kalvan14]

whereagles, on Oct 29 2005, 05:22 PM, said:

PMetsch, on Oct 29 2005, 09:12 AM, said:

Tough problem, it depends on the location of ♣K. If LHO has the ♣K, then RHO double must be based on ♦AJTx. If RHO has the ♣K, then LHO has overcalled with ♠Kxxx + ♥Axxxx. I think it is more likely that the ♣K is with LHO, because RHO might have bid 3♠ with a hand like:

♠xxxx
♥x
♦Axx
♣Kxxxx

So I rise with ♠Q and run the ♦7, but it may be a disaster.

Well done! Taking the deep-finesse is the winning move!

I was South. Upon receiving the lead I went 5 mins into the tank, played the ♠Q, took a deep breath and ran the ♦9 (wanted to tempt RHO to cover). To my relief, it held. From there on it was plain sailing.

Not easy to find the solution on abstract because it requires a bit of table presence to realize RHO was doubling on the bad diamond break.

OYOH, the diamonds spots were a kind of hint