[olliebol]

Scoring: IMP

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bidding south 1CL west 1Sp North 2SP cuebid east pass south 2NT west pass and north 3NT all pass. West leads sp 10 and the jack on the table holds the trick. You play a club from dummy and play the king when east plays low. This also holds the trick. Now what?

[MFA]

I'd try a diamond to dummy and another club.

West could very easily have ducked the ♣A. East has at most one ace, and if I play a heart and east has that ace, I'm dead right there.

Going for clubs first is wrong only if east has ♣A and also the ♦Q. In which case he could have taken the first round of clubs to defeat the contract. (He might not have done so, of course. But still.)

[Cascade]

East might have just erred by not rising ♣ ace to play another spade.

Of course west might have ducked the ♣ ace.

My next play might depend on the quality of my opponents and my judgement of what is happening here.

If I think east has erred then I will play a heart to the king next through west's presumed ace before leading to the club again.

If I think west is ducking then I need clubs 2=2 and have to drive out the club first.

Without more information I am going to assume east misdefended.

[Phil]

I think its pretty obvious to play a diamond up and another club.

West can now continue diamonds but that shouldn't create any issues. Rise with the K and knock out the heart.

If West ducked the club from ♠KTxxx, ♥Ax ♦xxx ♣AJx , I'll congratulate on a nice defense.

[Cascade]

Phil, on Aug 24 2009, 11:06 AM, said:

I think its pretty obvious to play a diamond up and another club.

West can now continue diamonds but that shouldn't create any issues. Rise with the K and knock out the heart.

If West ducked the club from ♠KTxxx, ♥Ax ♦xxx ♣AJx , I'll congratulate on a nice defense.

Am I missing something?

When east wins the ♣A and plays a spade we have only eight tricks and the defense have at least 5 - unless you are going to bank on the diamond finesse. Four clubs, two diamonds, two spades against three spades and two aces.

[Fluffy]

olliebol, on Aug 23 2009, 11:38 AM, said:

Scoring: IMP

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bidding south 1CL west 1Sp North 2SP cuebid east pass south 2NT west pass and north 3NT all pass. West leads sp 10 and the jack on the table holds the trick. You play a club from dummy and play the king when east plays low. This also holds the trick. Now what?

Wellcome to the forums!

This is somehow a guess, ducking ♣A can be ridicoulous on some layouts, specially if east played the 9 wich could be QJ9.

its all about a guess, did east duck the ace or did west?. East should have incredible fortuneteller skills to raise from ♣AJx IMO, and west could not duck, this asks for a heart switch, but table presece will be the key.

[uday]

Two main lines left, i think.

1. H to dummy, then a club. Usually loses when RHO can win the HA and play a spade thru.

2. D to dummy, then a club. Usually loses when RHO can win the CA and play a spade thru. Also loses when LHO can win the club and play a diamond, assuming RHO has QTxx of D.

I'd try a H, myself. I'd feel bad if RHO won the HA, but worse if RHO has already made a mistake and I didn't capitalize on that.

U

[rd6789]

I would play D to K, then Club (high to avoid blockage) - if E wins this then I am back to the D finesse for 9 tricks - if W wins and leads another D I win with the A and play a H.

[gnasher]

uday, on Aug 24 2009, 03:02 AM, said:

2. D to dummy, then a club... Also loses when LHO can win the club and play a diamond, assuming RHO has QTxx of D.

Not necessarily - we're still OK if clubs were 2-2.

[olliebol]

very good answers all tx! for wat its worth in real life east had ducked with AJx of clubs and i needed to play a heart now since the diamond Q was indeed wrong. the east west hands:

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but to let everybody feel good, in real life i played a diamond to the ace and another club ,when east ducked again(i know, iknow), i could win and now play a heart before giving the club for nine tricks. This won a game swing but not as you think.On the other table dec was also allowed to score the KQ of clubs, east sleepily ducking the second one, but declarer played the third round of clubs himself.... sp back down one