[smerriman]

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IMPs. West leads the ♣J to the A, and the ♣T is returned.

Your line?

[nullve]

I think East has only six clubs and not the ♦A. At least I don't know many good players who would pass (NV vs. V, if it matters) with as much as

♠?
♥?
♦A(x...)
♣AQTxxx(x)

or fail to open (e.g. 1♣ or 3♣) with ♣AQTxxxx unless they had a 4c major on the side. So my best chance seems to be that either the double finesse in hearts is working or that East has ♦Jx.

My line:

Ruff low, take the trump finesse with the 8 and, if it's successful, lead the ♥T (tempting some Easts to cover from Hxxx) and let it run if East doesn't cover. If the double finesse fails, I'm still home if East has ♦Jx and opps don't get a heart ruff.

Ok, there's an endplay against West I haven't looked at yet. If East covers the ♥T, which I think he would from ♥Hx and hopefully also from ♥Hxx(x) (although it's a mistake double dummy), I can then win with the ace (say), play a trump to the ace, a heart to the king, draw trumps and exit with a heart. If West gets in, he'll be genuinely endplayed if he also has ♦AJx(x...).

But if I'm going to try to endplay West anyway, is it better to play a trump to the ace than taking the finesse with the 8? Or is East then less likely to cover the ♥T from ♥Hxx, since there are obviuosly no more entries in dummy?

I think I'll take the finesse. More fun, but pointless double dummy as West needs to have ♥QJx [edit: should be ♥QJx(x...), as Rainer shows] or ♥Hxxx(x..) in order to get endplayed.

[HardVector]

It looks like west has a stiff club and east is asking for a diamond back, so I'd be wary of a void there. If that's what's going on, you're going to need some luck. I ruff high and hope for 3-2 spades, pull trump and play AK and a 3rd heart hoping that west has to win (because of QJx, or Qxx and doesn't unblock). If west has 4 hearts, it's possible east has Qx or Jx and that works as well. At that point, west is endplayed.

[nullve]

HardVector, on 2018-October-14, 00:32, said:

It looks like west has a stiff club and east is asking for a diamond back, so I'd be wary of a void there.

If the ♣J is a singleton, hhen why didn't East open the bidding? Because of classic "flaws" like a 4c major, ace or void on the side?

If it's because of a side ace, then it has to be the diamond ace, but who wouldn't open with

♠?
♥?
♦A(x...)
♣AQTxxxx

?

If it's because East has a void, then where can it be? If it's in spades, then it doesn't matter how high you ruff. If it's in hearts or diamonds, then why didn't West find an overcall NV vs. V with ♥QJxxxx NV or ♦AJ9xxxx, respectively?

And if East has no side ace or void, but a 4c major and consequently either 1417 or 4117 shape, then West is either 4261 or 1561, and if that's not worth an overcall NV vs. V, how are EW supposed to find a cheap save if it exists?

So IMO the ♣J is extremely unlikely to be a singleton unless West is 5xx1 (and then most likely 5(43)1, or he might have overcalled), in which case it doesn't matter how high you trump.

On the other hand, passing in 2nd seat, even NV vs. V, but then coming in with 3♣ over P-(2♣)-P-(2♦) on something like

♠xx
♥Jxx
♦xx
♣AQTxxx,

seems normal to me. Partner would then have

♠Txx
♥Qxx
♦AJ9xx
♣Jx,

which is also consistent with the auction and the lead.

I agree that the ♣T looks like suit preference for diamonds.

[rhm]

We know from the bidding and play that West has very likely a doubleton club and the diamond ace and East has 6 clubs.
Simply assume that West has the diamond jack as well and sole control of hearts, either 4 or more cards there or much less likely queen and jack with less than 4 hearts.
If he has queen third in hearts he might fail to unblock in the endplay.
Simply ruff (with the 9) and play all your trumps.
On the last trump if West keeps control of diamonds he can not keep more than 3 hearts. End-play him in hearts.
If he came down to 2 diamonds play diamonds from the top.
This also works if East has the jack doubleton in diamonds.
Of course you might have to guess against expert defense what has happened after trick 7.

Simply check to how many spades East follows and assume at worst the most likely distribution for East thereafter.
If he follows to one spade assume 1=3=3=6 or 1=2=4=6, if 2 spades 2=2=3=6, if 3 spades 3=2=2=6.

Rainer Herrmann

[nullve]

rhm, on 2018-October-14, 06:16, said:

Simply ruff (with the 9) and play all your trumps.

This is necessary if West has

♥QJxx(x...)
♦AJx(x...),

but now West can get help from East's discards to unblock the Q from ♥Qxx.

My (second) line (finesse trumps with the 8, lead the ♥T from dummy and try to endplay West if East covers) is probably too crazy to be the one smerriman has in mind, but it seems like your line can be improved upon by using my ♥T from dummy idea. The new line:

Ruff with the nine (which I agree is a tiny bit better than ruffing with a lower card)
Play a low trump to dummy's ace
Lead the ♥T from dummy, intending to overtake if East doesn't cover.
Play the remaining 5 rounds of trumps.

[HardVector]

nullve, on 2018-October-14, 03:36, said:

If the ♣J is a singleton, hhen why didn't East open the bidding? Because of classic "flaws" like a 4c major, ace or void on the side?

You will note that I suggested the void in my line of play.

[smerriman]

I'm going to disappoint you all now

But rhm/nullve's combined line looks pretty good.

I guess it depends on the level of opposition - as an unknown opponent in the MBC, East did indeed have xx-xx-Axx-AQTxxx and failed to open (which explains the diamond preference). I couldn't see an alternative, so successfully finessed the 8, then led towards the diamonds twice to make 10 tricks.

However, I made a fatal flaw - and nullve made the same flaw in his first line. I ruffed the club low, rather than with the 9. All West has to do is insert the ten of spades on the first trump, and the spades are blocked. You now have no hope of making on the actual layout; nor on the double heart finesse (which actually forces you into the alternative line suggested, so I guess that's a consolation!)

[nullve]

smerriman, on 2018-October-14, 14:27, said:

I guess it depends on the level of opposition - as an unknown opponent in the MBC, East did indeed have xx-xx-Axx-AQTxxx and failed to open (which explains the diamond preference).

MBC = ?

smerriman, on 2018-October-14, 14:27, said:

However, I made a fatal flaw - and nullve made the same flaw in his first line. I ruffed the club low, rather than with the 9. All West has to do is insert the ten of spades on the first trump, and the spades are blocked.

Aargh, I didn't think about that!

[smerriman]

Main Bridge Club (BBO)