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Hi,
I'm at BBO Bridge Master Level 4 A-30 and can't understand why South should play a diamond to the diamond Q or J early.
Your reply is truly appreciated.
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BBO Bridge Master Level 4 A-30 Why should South play a diamond to the diamond Q or J?
#2
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Posted 2026-May-31, 22:17
If nobody is void in diamonds, it doesn't matter what you do, so that's the only case that's important.
If you lead to the Q, then:
- if West shows out, you instantly win (can finesse East for the ten)
- if East shows out, you can endplay them as discussed in the solution
What is the alternative? If you lead towards the K instead:
- if East shows out, West wins the ace, and you instantly lose with no chance of a third diamond trick
- That alone makes it worse, but in addition if West shows out, you also lose instantly, since if you try for the same endplay, East will simply duck the second diamond and you'll be stuck in dummy.
So that can never work.
If you lead to the Q, then:
- if West shows out, you instantly win (can finesse East for the ten)
- if East shows out, you can endplay them as discussed in the solution
What is the alternative? If you lead towards the K instead:
- if East shows out, West wins the ace, and you instantly lose with no chance of a third diamond trick
- That alone makes it worse, but in addition if West shows out, you also lose instantly, since if you try for the same endplay, East will simply duck the second diamond and you'll be stuck in dummy.
So that can never work.
#3
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Posted Yesterday, 15:51
Well, playing a diamond relatively early means when you have at least one stopper left in the other 3 suits. So a diamond play could be postponed until mid hand if you still have stoppers in all 3 other suits.
But the point of the hand once the low diamond point to the queen has been made and finding west with 4 diamonds, is to run the clubs to force west to abandon a major suit. Then play off the winners in the suit that west abandoned, which forces west to abandon the other major, or diamonds. A diamond discard allows you to just know out the ♦A and claim the rest. Otherwise, eliminate west's non diamond card and play ♦K which guarantees 2 more diamond tricks whether west wins the ace and has to lead away from the 10, or ducks, allowing a lead up to dummy's remaining honor.
Note that if West shows 4 diamonds and 5+ clubs, then stop playing clubs and play a spade and 2 rounds of hearts. If west shows out in a major, continue playing off that major forcing west to abandon either clubs or the other major. Then play off whatever suit was abandoned, which forces west to throw a 5th club or a 4th heart, or 3rd spade, or abandon diamonds. If west with 5+ clubs originally followed to a spade and 2 hearts, you can continue playing off the major suit winners in any order forcing west to abandon either the 5th club or diamonds.
IIRC, this is known as a non-material squeeze.
But the point of the hand once the low diamond point to the queen has been made and finding west with 4 diamonds, is to run the clubs to force west to abandon a major suit. Then play off the winners in the suit that west abandoned, which forces west to abandon the other major, or diamonds. A diamond discard allows you to just know out the ♦A and claim the rest. Otherwise, eliminate west's non diamond card and play ♦K which guarantees 2 more diamond tricks whether west wins the ace and has to lead away from the 10, or ducks, allowing a lead up to dummy's remaining honor.
Note that if West shows 4 diamonds and 5+ clubs, then stop playing clubs and play a spade and 2 rounds of hearts. If west shows out in a major, continue playing off that major forcing west to abandon either clubs or the other major. Then play off whatever suit was abandoned, which forces west to throw a 5th club or a 4th heart, or 3rd spade, or abandon diamonds. If west with 5+ clubs originally followed to a spade and 2 hearts, you can continue playing off the major suit winners in any order forcing west to abandon either the 5th club or diamonds.
IIRC, this is known as a non-material squeeze.
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