[JLOGIC]

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Bidding starting on your right was:

1D 2C 2S p
3D P 3H p
3N p 4H X
AP

Partner leads the C3, 8, K, T

What's the plan?

[athene]

JLOGIC, on 2011-October-04, 17:11, said:

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Bidding starting on your right was:

1D 2C 2S p
3D P 3H p
3N p 4H X
AP

Partner leads the C3, 8, K, T

What's the plan?

I find this sort of hand really hard; it's possible to construct layouts where all sorts of things work, but I don't have any good intuitive feel for what will work best on balance. I suppose partner has doubled because he has the diamonds and spades held and hopes the hand won't play well (also he might hope a double with short hearts will deceive declarer).

I constructed some layouts where everyone is sort of sane; i.e. partner has a singleton heart but some stuff in spades (A10xx, K10xx). If he has a heart honour, the contract is usually down whatever I do. Otherwise, if he has a doubleton club it's making and if he has a singleton club I need to cash the other club, so I continue with the ♣A.

[Fluffy]

I switched to trump, but then I had a completelly different bidding. I doubled 1 ♦ and won ♣A to try to fool declarer.

[jmcw]

Partner's X marks him with ♠ and he could have a stiff ♥ honor. But who has the other ♣?

Returning a trump is tempting, trying to preserve some ♠ ticks, on the other hand this might allow declarer to dump a ♣ on ♦.

I'm playing a club at trick 2 and the Ace feels right.

[dake50]

I try C:KA, C4 out. If winning 2xC + uppercut doesn't work,
rethink this defense gets really intriquet.
I don't think establishing C:QJ will hurt.
We intend 5 unescapable tricks.

[nigel_k]

Partner has spades and diamonds but didn't lead a trump so likely has stiff king or queen. If declarer has something like Axxxx AQxxx xx x he can always make by guessing correctly and is likely to do so if I return a trump and partner's king falls under the ace.

But from declarer's point of view, partner may have heart length and something like 6421 shape. In that case declarer needs to lead diamonds from hand at some point to avoid getting locked in dummy and partner ruffing his diamond winners. On the actual layout declarer is down if he plays a diamond early.

So I will switch to ♠J. With luck, declarer will hold the ten and interpret my spade as shortness, maybe playing me for 2146.

[gnasher]

I expect partner is 5161 - with 5152 he can't really have enough to double. I think he's likely to have ♠A - doubling on K10xxx K QJ10xxx x is possible, but a bit aggressive.

I play a trump, expecting some carnage like: trump, spade ruff as I unblock, ♦A ruffed, trump. Now we're taking it at least two down.

I don't understand playing three rounds of clubs. What if declarer pitches his diamond on it? Now he's making eight trumps and a club, and ♠A would make ten.

[phil_20686]

gnasher, on 2011-October-05, 02:55, said:

I expect partner is 5161 - with 5152 he can't really have enough to double. I think he's likely to have ♠A - doubling on K10xxx K QJ10xxx x is possible, but a bit aggressive.

I play a trump, expecting some carnage like: trump, spade ruff as I unblock, ♦A ruffed, trump. Now we're taking it at least two down.

I don't understand playing three rounds of clubs. What if declarer pitches his diamond on it? Now he's making eight trumps and a club, and ♠A would make ten.

There are certainly layouts where you can break delcarers trump control and end up with winning clubs. Suppose Partner has stiff Q or something like that and it goes Ac Kc club through - declarer can pitch his stiff diamond and partner ruffs, and now he can just play a diamond - if he cashes the AK pitching spades you just pitch spades too. Assuming parner has the aceT of spades they are now in all kinds of diffficulties, as you can overruff dummy and return a trump. Also, he will not necessarily realise he can cash the 4th club. At any rate, he still has at least one trump and one spade to lose by my count.

If you plan to return a trump, surely its right to get an early club and diamond ruff, and then return a trump. Low club through ruffed and Q diamonds comes back covered and ruffed, now you can return a trump and you have maintained souths exit cards and prevented declarer from pitching any spades. This is a disaster if west has only one club though and declarer can let it run to the Q of clubs.

[rhm]

Return a low ♣ asking for a ♦ return.

I doubt that this is a disaster, no matter who has the 13th ♣. Say declarer discards and wins in dummy. What will he play next?
Say declarer plays double dummy:

♥ to the ace dropping partner's singleton honor
♠ ruff
ruffing finesse in ♣
♠ ruff
After cashing the ♣ for a second ♠ discard, declarer is in dummy with only ♦s left and has still in hand 3 cards in ♠ and ♦, none of which will make a trick unless declarer has the ♠A.
If declarer does hold a singleton ♣ and the ♠A there is no hope unless partner has the singleton trump ace, in which case the contract is going down anyway.
However, if declarer has the remaining ♣ and the ♠A, a low ♣ return followed by a ♦ ruff and a trump may be necessary.
A low ♣ without cashing the ♣A is better.

Rainer Herrmann

[jdeegan]

rhm, on 2011-October-05, 06:59, said:

Return a low ♣ asking for a ♦ return.

I doubt that this is a disaster, no matter who has the 13th ♣. Say declarer discards and wins in dummy. What will he play next?
Say declarer plays double dummy:

♥ to the ace dropping partner's singleton honor
♠ ruff
ruffing finesse in ♣
♠ ruff
After cashing the ♣ for a second ♠ discard, declarer is in dummy with only ♦s left and has still in hand 3 cards in ♠ and ♦, none of which will make a trick unless declarer has the ♠A.
If declarer does hold a singleton ♣ and the ♠A there is no hope unless partner has the singleton trump ace, in which case the contract is going down anyway.
However, if declarer has the remaining ♣ and the ♠A, a low ♣ return followed by a ♦ ruff and a trump may be necessary.
A low ♣ without cashing the ♣A is better.

Rainer Herrmann

Me too. Pard doubled hoping for ♠ tricks. Declarer is marked with 10 major suit cards on the bidding and one known club. Only two cards are unknown. They could be in the ♠, ♦ or ♣ suit. At least one of them is very likely to be a ♦ since the 7-6-0-0 split is relatively rare. I don't want declarer to make 10 tricks via 5♥, 2♦, 2♣ and one ♠ ruff. Even if his 13th card is a ♦, a ♣ return will not give up a trick declarer can't get anyway.