[shyams]

Board rotated.

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North manages to drag South to slam. What is the best line on the opening lead of ♥2?

[TWO4BRIDGE]

Ruff Ht w/low Sp...
Key plays next are taking the Cl Ace and then leading Cl Q .
East more than likely has the Cl K and is now faced with losing propositions .

[WesleyC]

This feels like a hand where there might be a better line but my first instinct is:

Trump in dummy. ♦A and diamond ruff. Ruff a second heart. Ruff another diamond with the ♠8.

5 more rounds of trumps and then try and guess what to do!

[shyams]

I guess I played a very risky line. I ruffed the opening lead, and immediately led the ♣9 from dummy.

Unfortunately, clubs were 4-1 and West had the King who gratefully won and gave partner a ruff.

[WesleyC]

Playing the Qc off dummy definitely isn't a hopeless line - I'd guess it's about an 80% chance. It would be even better if the club suit was concealed, because the opponents would have a chance to misdefend.

Is the line that I suggested better than 80% in reality? Against less than expert opponents that will often give away the ending, I think so.

[Cyberyeti]

Normally in this sort of case playing the Q without cashing the ace is the right move, in this case there are very few situations where it's better than cashing the ace first, and some very obvious ones like this where it's worse. Also if E is not a passed hand so more likely to have the K♣ playing the Q improves.

[phil_20686]

Doesn't ruff ace of diamonds ruff diamond ruff heart ruff diamond (9) and then playing all your trumps basically always win. I might have to read the position in the end game. Anytime rho only has three diamonds you will surely squeeze the position out of him. I mean, a the strip squeeze is pretty easy to see, but for all that it works on most players most of the time. I mean you are strip squeezing rho genuinely, but the position is also getting quite tight on lho opponent. If he pitches a club and all his hearts you would surely read him for - - K xx in the end game for example. And if you are happy to assume that rho doesnt have 4 diamonds, then you will know the heart position and the diamond position exactly, so you should not be fooled if rho keeps two hearts and bares the stiff club K.

Imagine the original hand was rho having xx AQxxx Jxx Kxx for example, with no weak two you will know he has 5 hearts exactly (supported by the lead) and in the three card ending he will either have heart A and Kx or Ax heart and stiff K of clubs. Easy read. You will likely go off if rho has xx AJxxx Kxxx Kx as now he will pitch one club and end up A K K, but now he would surely have opened this? If he turns up with 55 you will know, and if he turns up with two diamonds you will also know 100% what to do.

[TWO4BRIDGE]

shyams, on 2015-November-11, 02:54, said:

I guess I played a very risky line. I ruffed the opening lead, and immediately led the ♣9 from dummy.

Unfortunately, clubs were 4-1 and West had the King who gratefully won and gave partner a ruff.

What was the trump split ?

[shyams]

TWO4BRIDGE, on 2015-November-11, 17:05, said:

What was the trump split ?

East had a 1-6-5-1 hand with a singleton ♣5 and a singleton ♠3

[TWO4BRIDGE]

shyams, on 2015-November-11, 18:14, said:

East had a 1-6-5-1 hand with a singleton ♣5 and a singleton ♠3

That is what I was wondering : a singleton Sp for East.
After Cl Ace and then Cl Q , if East ruffs Cl Q w/ stiff Sp 3, it is the only trick they take ... as long as East also has the Ht Ace .

What can East return that doesn't give South the rest of the tricks ?

[ However, I think the contract will fail if East does NOT ruff Cl Q ] .

[Cyberyeti]

TWO4BRIDGE, on 2015-November-11, 18:36, said:

That is what I was wondering : a singleton Sp for East.
After Cl Ace and then Cl Q , if East ruffs Cl Q w/ stiff Sp 3, it is the only trick they take ... as long as East also has the Ht Ace .

What can East return that doesn't give South the rest of the tricks ?

[ However, I think the contract will fail if East does NOT ruff Cl Q ] .

It won't fail if you pick E as 1651 rather than 2641. What does W return ?

Diamond looks most awkward in which case win, club ruffed and overruffed, heart ruff, club pitching heart, ruff something high and claim

[nige1]

shyams writes "North manages to drag South to slam. What is the best line on the opening lead of ♥2?"

I like Shyam's line: ruff opening ♥ lead in dummy and exit with ♣9 -- with good prospects, unless a defender has ♣Kxxx(x)

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[TWO4BRIDGE]

Cyberyeti, on 2015-November-12, 08:21, said:

It won't fail if you pick E as 1651 rather than 2641. What does W return ?

Diamond looks most awkward in which case win, club ruffed and overruffed, heart ruff, club pitching heart, ruff something high and claim

You are right .

[Lovera]

This hand seems in bidding and perhaps play similar at the one in my topic in Expert cl.b. We can have 12 tricks ruffing heart in dummy, returning in spade impassing twice club..

[Lovera]

If let's consider bidding after 2♠: 3♥(=overcalling at second round indicates rever 6-5 club/diamond)-p-3♠ then 4♥(=cue-void) agree spade. The subsequent 4NT could be Bw for c. if Q is equal to K for five controls. In this case 5♣ indicates 2A+0K and with void in heart you read the whole hand of partner.