[lamford]

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Playing against the Zimmermann Team in the Online Cup you reach 4H here but find the hands do not fit well. North leads an obvious singleton 6♠. How are you going to bring home this game with just one slip by an opponent? Alex Hydes found the right way as West.

[mikeh]

I wn in hand and lead a heart. I am hoping North holds the Ace and that he ducks. If hearts are 2-2, one duck is all I need. Even if North wins, he will have to switch to a club.

What I need to do, if North ducks the trump, is decide whether to play for 2-2 hearts or a further (?) error by north...actually, ducking is correct if he has Axx, since south can tell him what to lead, by way of a signal on the second round. So I won’t assume south has a stiff trump and can signal the club ace.

Thus, winning the heart in dummy, I lead a club. South is toast. He ducks, I lose no clubs. He flies, cashes spade K and gives a ruff with north’s stiff heart Ace. If he flies and returns a diamond (or unlikely heart), I pitch two spades on the clubs.

There’s no point trying for North holding the club ace and south the trump.

Also, I’d lead the trump 6, not the 3. Most top players give suit preference in trump, so if North flies with the Ace, I want south’s spot to be, if possible, ambiguous. Give north A2, and south 84, his 4 may be read as from 43, thus suggesting a diamond switch.

[lamford]

mikeh, on 2020-August-06, 12:14, said:

Thus, winning the heart in dummy, I lead a club. South is toast.

I think North is a big favourite to hold the ace of hearts and the ace of clubs, having overcalled 1D on a queen high suit. How will you make it when he has both?

[mikeh]

lamford, on 2020-August-06, 16:05, said:

I think North is a big favourite to hold the ace of hearts and the ace of clubs, having overcalled 1D on a queen high suit. How will you make it when he has both?

And south a big favourite to hold KJ10x and basically a Yarborough after that, for bidding 1S after his rho made a negative double, implying (and for most of us, promising) 4 spades?

In any event, a reasonable alternative to my suggested line would be to win in hand, heart up, assuming a duck, eliminate diamonds and exit a heart. Still needs trump 2-2. Actually, since this requires the same trumps, and error by North, this is, I think, a better line.

[johnu]

lamford, on 2020-August-06, 16:05, said:

I think North is a big favourite to hold the ace of hearts and the ace of clubs, having overcalled 1D on a queen high suit. How will you make it when he has both?

Wow, did Alex really make this when North has both aces?

Play is very complex but assume North has 5 or 6 diamonds for the overcall, and South has 4 spades for the 1♠ advance.

Spoiler

Lead heart to dummy and hope North ducks with Ax. Three rounds of diamonds ruffing in hand, then a heart endplaying North who only has diamonds and clubs left.

On a diamond lead giving a sluff-ruff, pitch a club from dummy and ruff with the last trump in hand. Lead ♣K for a ruffing finesse. If North ducks, pitch a spade, losing 2 spades and ♥A. If North covers, ruff, and play a low spade. After South wins the trick, they must either give a trick to ♠Q or let West win the stranded ♣Q for a spade pitch. Again, losing 2 spades and ♥A.

If North cashes ♣A, win the next trick, cross with a trump and pitch 2 spades on the good ♣KQ. Losing ♥A, ♣A and a spade.

If North underleads ♣A, win ♣K, and play a low club and ruff. Then play a low spade from dummy. South can't play another spade without giving a trick to ♠Q, so returns a club. North has to cover with ♣A, but declarer makes a loser on loser play by pitching a spade from dummy. North has to give a sluff ruff so dummy pitches the last spade from dummy and ruffs with last trump in hand. Losing ♥A, ♣A and a spade.

This is a book or magazine feature quality hand.

[lamford]

johnu, on 2020-August-06, 17:36, said:

Wow, did Alex really make this when North has both aces?

Play is very complex but assume North has 5 or 6 diamonds for the overcall, and South has 4 spades for the 1♠ advance.

Spoiler

Lead heart to dummy and hope North ducks with Ax. Three rounds of diamonds ruffing in hand, then a heart endplaying North who only has diamonds and clubs left.

On a diamond lead giving a sluff-ruff, pitch a club from dummy and ruff with the last trump in hand. Lead ♣K for a ruffing finesse. If North ducks, pitch a spade, losing 2 spades and ♥A. If North covers, ruff, and play a low spade. After South wins the trick, they must either give a trick to ♠Q or let West win the stranded ♣Q for a spade pitch. Again, losing 2 spades and ♥A.

If North cashes ♣A, win the next trick, cross with a trump and pitch 2 spades on the good ♣KQ. Losing ♥A, ♣A and a spade.

If North underleads ♣A, win ♣K, and play a low club and ruff. Then play a low spade from dummy. South can't play another spade without giving a trick to ♠Q, so returns a club. North has to cover with ♣A, but declarer makes a loser on loser play by pitching a spade from dummy. North has to give a sluff ruff so dummy pitches the last spade from dummy and ruffs with last trump in hand. Losing ♥A, ♣A and a spade.

This is a book or magazine feature quality hand.

Yes, North did duck, fearing that his partner had Qx in trumps, and Alex did play three rounds of diamonds, ruffing in hand, and exited with a heart. North, winning with ♥Ax, tried a low club but Alex won and simply exited with a low club, throwing a spade from dummy and claimed! Very pretty.

[lamford]

mikeh, on 2020-August-06, 17:34, said:

And south a big favourite to hold KJ10x and basically a Yarborough after that, for bidding 1S after his rho made a negative double, implying (and for most of us, promising) 4 spades?

In any event, a reasonable alternative to my suggested line would be to win in hand, heart up, assuming a duck, eliminate diamonds and exit a heart. Still needs trump 2-2. Actually, since this requires the same trumps, and error by North, this is, I think, a better line.

If you hover over the alert of Double it showed 4+ hearts, and said nothing about spades.
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