[FrancesHinden]

(I'm following gnasher's style of post titling today)

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Imps, early on in a 64-board KO match, (very) strong opponents.

You lead the ace of spades (do you?), partner plays the 6 (reverse attitude) and declarer the 4.
After quite a lot of thought, you now play the ace of clubs (do you?), partner the 2 and declarer ruffs.
You are 100% certain that partner is telling you that she has the king of diamonds.

Declarer now ruffs a spade, partner discarding a club, and ruffs a club in hand. You over-ruff. Now what?

[mikeh]

Declarer is either 5=6=2=0 or 5=7=1=0.

I play the heart Q and will know the exact shape.

5=6=2=0.

Declarer can win, cash another high heart and exit a heart. If I exit a diamond, declarer ducks, partner wins the K and we take no more tricks, so I had better cash that spade K when in with the last trump.

5=7=1=0

Declarer can win, cash another heart and exit the heart to my last trump, but now I can safely lead a diamond.

If declarer ducks the ♥Q, I can continue hearts and eventually exit a diamond, unless declarer strips the diamonds first, but then I have two more spade winners.

[Fluffy]

declarer is 5620 most likelly, to get the maximum we play a low spade now, declarer might ruff but he is locked in dummy and we will corss ruff some extra tricks now.

Best declarer can do is to discard a club, but now partner ruffs and plays a club, declarer pitches a spade and we are no better than before :/, we only make 3♠, 2♥, 1♦

[phil_20686]

Am a little drunk now.

Surely partner would not signal with stiff K in the diamond suit, so either he is void or he has Kx. If he has kx he is 1129 and declarer is 5620, and you have a tricky problem. Can east be void in diamonds? That would make partner 3109. Discounting this problem is a question of knowning what partner would play from 765 pr Q65 or similar. My view is that this is a count situation regardless of the fact that ace asked for attitude. It could also be a SP situation. Itis never an attitude situation.

Now, would I bid over 5C with Qxxxx AKJxxx xx -? What about 4720, or 5710? It feels like a 7 card suit is more likely.


At any rate, am I sure that it matters? If I play a diamond now can I not kill dummy on almost any layout? I think that a Diamond is pretty much guaranteed to be best defence. I appreciate Mikeh's discovery play, but if dec is 5710 or 5620 without the diamond K a diamond cuts them off from dummy.

PS: congrats on wining the gc. Say andy and shireen there but I think I missed you.

[whereagles]

I'd like to reply, but this compass bug make me lazy HA!

[FrancesHinden]

Phil is right, a diamond cannot cost and might gain.

A diamond is +800.
The queen of hearts was chosen at the table, and the layout is exactly as mikeh as analysed it with declarer 5620, so we only got 500.

At the other table the auction was the same, but the CA was led which made 800 much easier; declarer dropped a trick and went for 1100.

[hatchett]

Phil is not right, a diamond can cost. If declarer is 5710 and west exits with the HQ that is 500, but any other card is 300.
If declarer is 5620, a diamond is better by a trick.

[Fluffy]

FrancesHinden, on 2011-December-15, 12:19, said:

Phil is right, a diamond cannot cost and might gain.

A diamond is +800.
The queen of hearts was chosen at the table, and the layout is exactly as mikeh as analysed it with declarer 5620, so we only got 500.

What's wrong with a spade now?

[MrAce]

Fluffy, on 2011-December-15, 18:39, said:

What's wrong with a spade now?

Nothing wrong, basically same result.. Thats what i would play too.

Playing small ♠ gets 6 tricks for defense if declarer is 5620 and gets 4 tricks if declarer is 5710.
Playing ♦ gets 6 tricks when 5620 and 4 tricks if 5710.

Playing ♥ Q gets 5 tricks if 5620 and 5 tricks if 5710

If declarer has ♦K and 5620 all same, but if 5710 Q♥ takes 4 tricks others 3.