[CamHenry]

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In a frenzied effort to avoid 5m, and neither hand looking ideal for 3NT, you stumble into 4♠ by S. The auction is not a thing of beauty.

LHO cashes the ♣A at trick 1, then switches to a heart. What's the best line here, given that (a) it's matchpoints and (b) the field will probably be in a diamond contract, half of them in partscore?

[fromageGB]

It looks like you are competing against equal numbers of 130, 150, 400, -50, but I expect more than a few to make 3NT as well. You need to make the contract. It seems by only chance is cross-ruff and hope for happy diamond break. ♥A, ruff, ruff, ruff, ruff, 2 diamonds, and 2 more trumps = only 9 tricks, so after 2nd D a low ♦ ruff, and exit in clubs. Needs ♠K on right, and 4-3 club break. In matchpoints I have no time to think of anything beyond this.

[CamHenry]

Since this hand is apparently less interesting than I thought it was, I'll post what happened at the table. I won trick two, and immediately took the spade finesse. My LHO won and played another spade, in an attempt to prevent the club ruff. This picked up the spades for me, and meant I could cash all the diamonds for +1 and a top.

If LHO had returned a heart, I ruff in hand, ruff a club, cross to hand with the ♦J and draw trumps and claim the diamonds. I think this line works when diamonds aren't 4-0 and trumps aren't 5-1.

[fromageGB]

CamHenry, on 2014-January-21, 01:43, said:

I think this line works when diamonds aren't 4-0 and trumps aren't 5-1.

And maybe it doesn't. What do you do when the finesse wins? Even if I'm West I don't take the K at trick 1.

[Fluffy]

If LHO is intermediate win ♥A and play a spade to the queen.

if LHO has ♠K he will win it, and you are in very good shape after that.

If RHO has ♠K you must hope he has 2 o 3, so cross to dummy in diamonds and lead another spade for a finesse.

[CamHenry]

Even a good (not expert) player might be tempted to win the K from Kx...

[fromageGB]

Fluffy, on 2014-January-23, 04:57, said:

if LHO has ♠K he will win it, and you are in very good shape after that.

CamHenry, on 2014-January-23, 07:38, said:

Even a good (not expert) player might be tempted to win the K from Kx...

I don't understand this. I am not an expert, and it is obvious to me that I duck with Kx or Kxx or Kxxx. How do you avoid the club losers?

[Fluffy]

it is obvious to you double dummy, now ask yourself this: hwo many times have you ever duck a king after declarer finesses the queen?, I can count mines with my 2 hands. And with doubleton it get to only 1. Ducking ♠Q can be a disster if partner has the jack.

[madongjun]

3NT looks like a good contract,but how to bid?