[gnasher]

---

IMPs.
You play standard count, upsidedown attitude and standard suit-preference.

You lead ♣6 to the ace, partner showing an odd number.
Declarer plays:
- A spade to his J, partner playing the 2
- ♦5 to the queen, partner playing the 2
- A spade to partner's queen and declarer's ace.

What do you discard on this and the next spade?

This post has been edited by gnasher: 2011-December-14, 07:49

[Flameous]

Declarer seems to be holding 6331 shape. If I'm right we can beat AQJxxx AQx T9x x. We need partner holding DJ because otherwise declarer has no D losers if he runs DJ next.
We can't spare a diamond cause then declarer could duck one round and throw a heart to fourth D. We also can't obviously pitch two hearts but one should suffice. Clubs are seemingly useless but we may need two of them to escape an endplay later depending what declarer does. If declarer continues with a spade to partner's king, we must discard a club.
For signaling purposes, we need partner to play a heart to take us off coming endplay, so CQ seems like the right first discard to guide partner.

[rhm]

Flameous, on 2011-December-14, 06:40, said:

Declarer seems to be holding 6331 shape. If I'm right we can beat AQJxxx AQx T9x x. We need partner holding DJ because otherwise declarer has no D losers if he runs DJ next.
We can't spare a diamond cause then declarer could duck one round and throw a heart to fourth D. We also can't obviously pitch two hearts but one should suffice. Clubs are seemingly useless but we may need two of them to escape an endplay later depending what declarer does. If declarer continues with a spade to partner's king, we must discard a club.
For signaling purposes, we need partner to play a heart to take us off coming endplay, so CQ seems like the right first discard to guide partner.

If declarer has AQJxxx AQx T9x x he has 9 tricks and I think a red suit squeeze against West looms.
I do not see how to break it up, certainly not by a ♥ return. Duck the ♥ and duck the ♦ return
If East returns the ♦J, declarer can duck, win thereafter the ♥ return with the ace.
Now West gets still squeezed without the count.

Rainer Herrmann

[gnasher]

Declarer doesn't have ♠AQJxxx - partner played the queen on the second round. Sorry if that wasn't clear - I'll edit the original post.

[phil_20686]

Flameous, on 2011-December-14, 06:40, said:

Declarer seems to be holding 6331 shape. If I'm right we can beat AQJxxx AQx T9x x. We need partner holding DJ because otherwise declarer has no D losers if he runs DJ next.
We can't spare a diamond cause then declarer could duck one round and throw a heart to fourth D. We also can't obviously pitch two hearts but one should suffice. Clubs are seemingly useless but we may need two of them to escape an endplay later depending what declarer does. If declarer continues with a spade to partner's king, we must discard a club.
For signaling purposes, we need partner to play a heart to take us off coming endplay, so CQ seems like the right first discard to guide partner.

It seems fairly easy to make when he has that hand. the Q next will drop the J and a diamond to the T enforces and endplay anyway. I think declarer is more likely 6-4-2-1 but with poor hearts. This is more consistend with partners bidding, a surely he would not enter the auction with Qxxx xx Jx KJTxx. That seems like a penalty try even NV. Suppose partner has instead a stiff heart honour, Qxxx A jxx KJTxx this seems like a mch better looking overcall. With only Qxxx h and partner making a responsive double rather than bidding hearts it was obvious to play there. A nother possibility is that partner has KQxx x Jxx KJTxx, or KQxx xx Jx KJTxx.

At any rate I should pitch a top club on the first one. If partner wins this spade and returns a heart I am pretty happy and will exit a club obviously. Assuming partner does not have a spade winner I will pitch a diamond next, playing declarer for 6421, and partner to have a stiff heart honour. I dont think we can beat it legit on a hand where declarer has T9x d and I think they would have started the suit by running the T anyway. If he has J9x diamond in hand he is always cold I think. And will not go wrong with partner 45 in the blacks.

Also, if declarer has the heart ace partner must have a spade trick. So partner needs the stiff ace of hearts if partner cant win this trick else he has ten tricks. I just have to remember that on this layout i cannot afford two clubs, because it might expose me to an endplay in the diamond and heart suits. Suppose its a bit like a stepping stone. If he plays a heart to the stiff ace rho will exit a club, so I need to keep my exit cards to prevent him getting to dummy. Especially if declarer has Jx diamonds. but even with xx he can exit low to the Q. Of course, in theory partner can break this up by playing a diamond after the stiff ace of hearts wins but that is just never going to happen.

[phil_20686]

rhm, on 2011-December-14, 07:44, said:

If declarer has AQJxxx AQx T9x x he has 9 tricks and I think a red suit squeeze against West looms.
I do not see how to break it up, certainly not by a ♥ return. Duck the ♥ and duck the ♦ return
If East returns the ♦J, declarer can duck, win thereafter the ♥ return with the ace.
Now West gets still squeezed without the count.

Rainer Herrmann

Isnt the squeeze for 11 tricks, assuming flame meant AKJTxx in the spades declarer has ten tricks if he has the heart ace.

[rhm]

A red suit squeeze against West looms.
If declarer does not have the ♥Q you have a chance.
Play him for ♠AJT9xx,♥Axx,♦109x,♣x. (aggressive bidding though)
Discard ♣2 followed by the ♣Q.
East needs to break up the squeeze by returning the ♦J. If declarer ducks, partner's ♥Q should protect you now provided he does not switch to the ♥Q. (low ♥ is okay)
If declarer tries to duck a ♥ early, win and play the ♦K.
The danger is that partner does not see the problem and returns a ♣ or a ♥.

Rainer Herrmann

[phil_20686]

rhm, on 2011-December-14, 08:32, said:

A red squeeze against West looms.
If declarer does not have the ♥Q you have a chance.
Play him for ♠AJT9xx,♥Axx,♦109x,♣x. (aggressive bidding though)
Discard ♣2 followed by the ♣Q.
You need to break up the squeeze with a ♦ return. If declarer ducks, partner's ♥Q should protect you now.
If declarer tries to duck a ♥ early, win and play the ♦K.
The danger is that partner does not see the problem and returns a ♣ or a ♥.

Rainer Herrmann

The problem is that declarer seems to have misplayed badly if that is the case - if he started with running the diamond ten he would be ok now? I suppose this risks a diamond ruff when diamonds are 4-2 and spades are 1-4, with stiff honour. I suppose you could go off when LHO has Kx and ducks the first spade finesse smoothly but that seems a bit heroic. If you run the diamond T onthe first go you maintain communications for a simple squeeze and when diamonds are 3-3. I trhink its more likely that opener is 6421.

[rhm]

phil_20686, on 2011-December-14, 09:07, said:

The problem is that declarer seems to have misplayed badly if that is the case - if he started with running the diamond ten he would be ok now? I suppose this risks a diamond ruff when diamonds are 4-2 and spades are 1-4, with stiff honour. I suppose you could go off when LHO has Kx and ducks the first spade finesse smoothly but that seems a bit heroic. If you run the diamond T onthe first go you maintain communications for a simple squeeze and when diamonds are 3-3. I trhink its more likely that opener is 6421.

You seem to overlook that East in my layout has ♠ KQxx and declarer is forced to play ♠ from dummy twice.
Say declarer runs the ♦T to the jack. Partner returns a ♣ or a ♦, how do you want to proceed?
You are more or less forced to win the second ♦ on the table even if West does not cover.
Otherwise East will have 2 trump tricks.

Rainer Herrmann

[phil_20686]

rhm, on 2011-December-14, 09:24, said:

You seem to overlook that East in my layout has ♠ KQxx and declarer is forced to play ♠ from dummy twice.
Say declarer runs the ♦T to the jack. Partner returns a ♣ or a ♦, how do you want to proceed?
You are more or less forced to win the second ♦ on the table even if West does not cover.
Otherwise East will have 2 trump tricks.

Rainer Herrmann

But thats fine right? I still have Ax diamond on table and rho has none to lead? Also, when it was KJx(x) in the slot I am obviously a huge winner. I was planning to win the second diamond on the table to take a second spade hook. Then I play a trump and we are back in the same position as above but its impossible for the squeeze to be broken up now if rho has two diamonds?

[FrancesHinden]

rhm, on 2011-December-14, 08:32, said:

A red suit squeeze against West looms.
If declarer does not have the ♥Q you have a chance.
Play him for ♠AJT9xx,♥Axx,♦109x,♣x. (aggressive bidding though)
Discard ♣2 followed by the ♣Q.
East needs to break up the squeeze by returning the ♦J. If declarer ducks, partner's ♥Q should protect you now provided he does not switch to the ♥Q. (low ♥ is okay)
If declarer tries to duck a ♥ early, win and play the ♦K.
The danger is that partner does not see the problem and returns a ♣ or a ♥.

Rainer Herrmann

Your opponents were 42 imps down with 8 boards to go, this is the first of those last 8 boards, so they may well have been aggressive. Of course, they may just have their calls anyway, who can tell?

[gnasher]

Rainer, your construction gives partner KQxx Qx Jx KJ10xx. You can assume that partner would have opened the bidding with that.

[y66]

I'll play declarer for AJT9xx Axxx J5 x. If I pitch a red card, he may be able to get a second heart trick or a 3rd diamond trick. So, I'll pitch C2 then C9.

[MrAce]

gnasher, on 2011-December-14, 04:07, said:

- A spade to his J, partner playing the 2
- ♦5 to the queen, partner playing the 2
- A spade to partner's queen and declarer's ace.

What do you discard on this and the next spade?

I am discarding a club first.

I think it is important to know what did pd play on 3rd round of ♠ b4 we make a discard on 4th round of ♠ Andy, no ? Also what is the card declarer played on 3rd round of ♠ ? K or some spot ?

[MrAce]

y66, on 2011-December-14, 16:47, said:

I'll play declarer for AJT9xx Axxx J5 x. If I pitch a red card, he may be able to get a second heart trick or a 3rd diamond trick. So, I'll pitch C2 then C9.

Declarer would bid 2♥ with this.

[jallerton]

MrAce, on 2011-December-14, 18:10, said:

Declarer would bid 2♥ with this.

Would he? What would he expect you to do over that on a minimum hand with 2-3 or 1-3 in the majors? It seems better to double for take-out on hands with 4 hearts and to preserve 2♥ for hands with 5 hearts.

[MrAce]

jallerton, on 2011-December-14, 18:16, said:

Would he?

With 6-4 and doubleton diamond ? Auto imo.

But i wont get into detailed debate of it in order to prevent topic hijacking.

[rhm]

gnasher, on 2011-December-14, 15:46, said:

Rainer, your construction gives partner KQxx Qx Jx KJ10xx. You can assume that partner would have opened the bidding with that.

In that case I do not see how to beat this against a competent declarer if he is 6331
If declarer is 6421 and partner has ♠KQxx, simply keep your ♣ and discard ♦.
Declarer will always loose control. But would declarer rebid ♠ with at least Axxx in ♥?
Maybe yes, maybe I am overlooking something

Rainer Herrmann

[gnasher]

rhm, on 2011-December-15, 04:49, said:

In that case I do not see how to beat this against a competent declarer if he is 6331
If declarer is 6421 and partner has ♠KQxx, simply keep your ♣ and discard ♦.
Declarer will always loose control. But would declarer rebid ♠ with at least Axxx in ♥?
Maybe yes, maybe I am overlooking something

I'm glad that it took nearly a day for someone to suggest this defence - it makes me feel less bad about having missed it at the table.

The full hands were:

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At the table I discarded a club, thereby letting it through.

As Rainer says, it's hard to see how to beat the contract if declarer is 6331. There is another clue: partner has overcalled in a dangerous sequence with a mediocre hand, without consuming any space. He's more likely to do that with a 4135 shape than a 4225.