[Apollo81]

All red, MPs. LHO is a real expert, RHO isn't.

♠10764
♥107
♦632
♣AQ54

♠K9
♥Q86432
♦QJ4
♣76

You, South, opened 2♥. Double all pass. The defense is:

♦A, ♦K, ♦T, ruffed with the ♥5. ♠Q-K-A-4, ♠J-6-5-9. ♠2...

How do you proceed?

[whereagles]

The ♠T and a heart down. I Don't think LHO would dbl with a 55, so I take it RHO led the ♠Q with Qxx.

[jdonn]

I know I know it's not what you asked. But 2♥ at both vul?!?!

[ArtK78]

I have to score 6 tricks to have any chance of getting a reasonable score on this hand.

It appears that RHO is 3424 or 3523, and LHO is 4153 or 4054.

I need to score 2 black tricks and 4 hearts. I cannot score a spade and 2 clubs because there isn't enough room left in my hand - I would have to ruff one of those winners.

The situation is hopeless unless LHO has a singleton K or A of hearts. So, I am going to try to induce RHO to crash one of his heart honors with his partner's singleton heart honor. Therefore, win the ♠10 from dummy on the third round of spades and play the ♥10. Hopefully, RHO will cover with the ♥J or rise with the ♥A or ♥K. If RHO plays an honor and LHO has a singleton honor, you are home. Get to dummy with the ♣A and play another heart.

If RHO ruffs the third round of spades, that is fine. Overruff, play LHO for the ♣K and lead hearts through RHO.

By the way, if RHO does cover the ♥10 with the ♥J, you MUST DUCK and hope that LHO has a singleton ♥A or ♥K. If you cover, you must lose three heart tricks no matter what the lie of the cards.

[gnasher]

ArtK78, on Dec 21 2007, 10:55 PM, said:

The situation is hopeless unless LHO has a singleton K or A of hearts. So, I am going to try to induce RHO to crash one of his heart honors with his partner's singleton heart honor.

If LHO has a singleton trump honour, you can make six tricks legitimately: spade ruff, club finesse, spade ruff, club, club ruff, trump exit to LHO, score trump queen. I can't see anything better, so that's what I do.

[ArtK78]

gnasher, on Dec 21 2007, 05:04 PM, said:

ArtK78, on Dec 21 2007, 10:55 PM, said:

The situation is hopeless unless LHO has a singleton K or A of hearts. So, I am going to try to induce RHO to crash one of his heart honors with his partner's singleton heart honor.

If LHO has a singleton trump honour, you can make six tricks legitimately: spade ruff, club finesse, spade ruff, club, club ruff, trump exit to LHO, score trump queen. I can't see anything better, so that's what I do.

If LHO's singleton honor is the J, that line will not work.

[pclayton]

Is there really room for LHO to have one heart? He's turned up with 5♦ and probably 5♠. Fairly strange takeout double so far although 5=0=5=3 seems possible.

I'm not trying to to make this; -2 would adequate against their 3N.

[Apollo81]

Quote

The situation is hopeless unless LHO has a singleton K or A of hearts.

Any singleton will do, but you'll have to play different lines if it is the Jack or Nine than if it is the Ace or King.

Quote

By the way, if RHO does cover the ♥10 with the ♥J, you MUST DUCK and hope that LHO has a singleton ♥A or ♥K.  If you cover, you must lose three heart tricks no matter what the lie of the cards.

You could play the Queen and hope that RHO started with ♥AKJ5

[ArtK78]

pclayton, on Dec 21 2007, 06:17 PM, said:

Is there really room for LHO to have one heart? He's turned up with 5♦ and probably 5♠. Fairly strange takeout double so far although 5=0=5=3 seems possible.

I'm not trying to to make this; -2 would adequate against their 3N.

I am certainly glad that you are not trying to make this, considering that the defense took the first 5 tricks and still holds the AK of trump.