[awm]

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You're sitting East. IMPs, strong opponents. Partner leads ♦6 (3rd/low leads) to ♦6-♦2-♦K-♦7. What's your plan?

[Fluffy]

Declarer is 4126 most likelly, there is probably no rush to cash ♥A, but there might be a bid advantage into releasing dummy's ♥K now and setting up ♥Q to tap declarer. There are many spade combos for me to work out le outs but intuitivelly hearts to attack declarer's short sounds best.

[Codo]

Hmm declarer short in hearts an ddiamonds, dummy short in clubs- over partners possible club shortabe. How can I beat a cross ruff by attacking anything but spades now?

[rhm]

Codo, on 2012-November-12, 06:08, said:

Hmm declarer short in hearts an ddiamonds, dummy short in clubs- over partners possible club shortabe. How can I beat a cross ruff by attacking anything but spades now?

If declarer wanted to cross ruff why would he duck the diamond and give you an opportunity to switch to trumps?
Also if partner is short in clubs declarer clubs are probably good (but not solid or declarer might not have ducked the lead) and this argues against a cross ruff.
Declarer's play makes more sense with the ♦Q in which case his singleton heart could go on the ♦A
A heart return is at least a possible defense. Partner may have two trump tricks or the ♣ A and one trump trick in addition to the ♥A.

Rainer Herrmann

[sieong]

Thanks to Adam for reposting the hand here, and to all who have replied. I was East in this hand.

At the table, I struggled to come up with hands where the contract can be set. I used to rely on instincts and general principles on defense (on this hand, I think there are two possible lines: attack the trumps of the hands with a long suit, i.e., tap declarer, or draw trumps to cut down on ruffs). I am trying to get into the habit of trying to construct hands to make sure the defense is necessary rather than just feel right. At the table, most hands that I manage to construct at the table were simply undefeatable double dummy. Do you have any tips on how to be more efficient at constructing hands that are relevant?

For the responses so far, Rainer has given a line of defence along with a hand where it may be necessary (declarer has QJxx x Qx KQJxxx). Is there a hand where returning a trump is necessary? (That is what I did at the table, but I only got as far as counting ♦A, ♥K for declarer, if declarer has ♠A, he can cross ruff for 10 tricks almost for sure, so I return a trump. I felt that this heuristic was not good enough).

Thanks for any feedback.