Discussion:
Make six spades ?
(too old to reply)
Dave Flower
2019-10-06 18:05:17 UTC
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The following hand came up at Northampton last Friday:


Matchpoints none vul, dealer RHO

Q J 5 3
7 5 4
K Q 6 4
6 3

A K 10 9 6 4 2
A Q 9 4 3
3
void

1S 2C 2S 5C
6S all pass

Opening lead CA

Clearly the hand is unmakeable against best defence, but against human beings ?

How do you play it ?

Dave lFower
nrford100
2019-10-06 23:56:51 UTC
Permalink
Post by Dave Flower
Matchpoints none vul, dealer RHO
Q J 5 3
7 5 4
K Q 6 4
6 3
A K 10 9 6 4 2
A Q 9 4 3
3
void
1S 2C 2S 5C
6S all pass
Opening lead CA
Clearly the hand is unmakeable against best defence, but against human beings ?
How do you play it ?
Dave lFower
(You have the 4 of H in both hands, but then you misspelled your name, so what the heck <grin>.)

A human being could lead away from the AD. Crazier things have happened.

Assuming the KH is with East (or there is surely no hope), he could come up with it when you finesse and West could have JT doubleton, letting your 9 take dummy's last heart.

So I would play for the heart miracle. Anything more sophisticated than that is beyond my abilities.
Douglas Newlands
2019-10-07 00:26:23 UTC
Permalink
Post by Dave Flower
Matchpoints none vul, dealer RHO
Q J 5 3
7 5 4
K Q 6 4
6 3
A K 10 9 6 4 2
A Q 9 4 3
3
void
1S 2C 2S 5C
6S all pass
Opening lead CA
Clearly the hand is unmakeable against best defence, but against human beings ?
How do you play it ?
Dave lFower
Diamond towards the king.
If W neglects to take AD just safety the hearts.
If he takes it, cross in trumps, heart finesse then run trumps for
the red suit pseudo squeeze with KQ6 as the threat on table.
The Hog
2019-10-09 00:37:15 UTC
Permalink
Post by Douglas Newlands
Post by Dave Flower
Matchpoints none vul, dealer RHO
Q J 5 3
7 5 4
K Q 6 4
6 3
A K 10 9 6 4 2
A Q 9 4 3
3
void
1S 2C 2S 5C
6S all pass
Opening lead CA
Clearly the hand is unmakeable against best defence, but against human beings ?
How do you play it ?
Dave lFower
Diamond towards the king.
If W neglects to take AD just safety the hearts.
If he takes it, cross in trumps, heart finesse then run trumps for
the red suit pseudo squeeze with KQ6 as the threat on table.
The Black Douglas' line appears to be as good as any to me.
Will in New Haven
2019-10-11 19:02:36 UTC
Permalink
Post by Douglas Newlands
Post by Dave Flower
Matchpoints none vul, dealer RHO
Q J 5 3
7 5 4
K Q 6 4
6 3
A K 10 9 6 4 2
A Q 9 4 3
3
void
1S 2C 2S 5C
6S all pass
Opening lead CA
Clearly the hand is unmakeable against best defence, but against human beings ?
How do you play it ?
Dave lFower
Diamond towards the king.
If W neglects to take AD just safety the hearts.
If he takes it, cross in trumps, heart finesse then run trumps for
the red suit pseudo squeeze with KQ6 as the threat on table.
Good.
--
Will in Deerfield Beach
Dave Flower
2019-10-14 07:52:55 UTC
Permalink
Post by Douglas Newlands
Post by Dave Flower
Matchpoints none vul, dealer RHO
Q J 5 3
7 5 4
K Q 6 4
6 3
A K 10 9 6 4 2
A Q 9 4 3
3
void
1S 2C 2S 5C
6S all pass
Opening lead CA
Clearly the hand is unmakeable against best defence, but against human beings ?
How do you play it ?
Dave lFower
Diamond towards the king.
If W neglects to take AD just safety the hearts.
If he takes it, cross in trumps, heart finesse then run trumps for
the red suit pseudo squeeze with KQ6 as the threat on table.
This is the best line, I think.

I wouldn't have worked as, whilst the HK was onside, it was doubleton with the HJ.

Note that declarer should play a diamond at trick 2

Dave Flower
Charles Brenner
2019-10-15 01:01:07 UTC
Permalink
Post by Dave Flower
Post by Douglas Newlands
Post by Dave Flower
Matchpoints none vul, dealer RHO
Q J 5 3
7 5 4
K Q 6 4
6 3
A K 10 9 6 4 2
A Q 9 4 3
3
void
1S 2C 2S 5C
6S all pass
Opening lead CA
Clearly the hand is unmakeable against best defence, but against human beings ?
How do you play it ?
Dave lFower
Diamond towards the king.
If W neglects to take AD just safety the hearts.
If he takes it, cross in trumps, heart finesse then run trumps for
the red suit pseudo squeeze with KQ6 as the threat on table.
This is the best line, I think.
I wouldn't have worked as, whilst the HK was onside, it was doubleton with the HJ.
That's a cryptic comment. I thought it might mean that West, even if holding the diamond length along with H10xx, would smell a rat when East plays the rather high J on the heart finesse trick strongly suggesting that declarer has five hearts and hence no more diamonds. But if defenders are on the ball they would always clarify the diamond suit: E.g. from original AJxxx & 10xx, West can safely discard a diamond, which East can easily deduce is not from a 4-card holding. Hence East can discard both remaining diamonds to expose to West that the dummy is dead.

Of course either way defenders are not always on the ball. So I'm puzzled.

Very good line though.
a***@comcast.net
2019-11-12 23:01:55 UTC
Permalink
Post by Dave Flower
Matchpoints none vul, dealer RHO
Q J 5 3
7 5 4
K Q 6 4
6 3
A K 10 9 6 4 2
A Q 9 4 3
3
void
1S 2C 2S 5C
6S all pass
Opening lead CA
Clearly the hand is unmakeable against best defence, but against human beings ?
How do you play it ?
Dave lFower
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