A fantastic play I didn't spot

[a***@yahoo.co.uk]

MPs

KQ64
75
AKQ6432
-
AJT8 3
JT AKQ9864
JT7 9
8754 AJ96
9752
32
85
KQT32

N E S W
P P
1D X P 1S
2D 3H P 4H
AP

Diamond lead, diamond return ruffed. I drew trumps, played a club to hand, discovered the bad break, and was doomed to lose three club tricks, one down.

The way to make it after the first two tricks is to croiss to the SA, ruff a spade in hand, then ruff the other two spades in hand using the HJT as entries. A club played now endplays South, who has only clubs left, and has to lead one into my hand, giving me a 10th trick. Problem is, even if I spotted that as a possible line, why would I take it over playing the kitchen bridge line hoping the clubs aren't 5-0 or KQTx offside? It is possible that the line of setting up the possible endplay never costs whenever the standard play works, but I haven't done the analysis.

[Charles Brenner]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
MPs
KQ64
75
AKQ6432
-
AJT8 3
JT AKQ9864
JT7 9
8754 AJ96
9752
32
85
KQT32
N E S W
P P
1D X P 1S
2D 3H P 4H
AP
Diamond lead, diamond return ruffed. I drew trumps, played a club to hand, discovered the bad break, and was doomed to lose three club tricks, one down.
The way to make it after the first two tricks is to croiss to the SA, ruff a spade in hand, then ruff the other two spades in hand using the HJT as entries. A club played now endplays South, who has only clubs left, and has to lead one into my hand, giving me a 10th trick. Problem is, even if I spotted that as a possible line, why would I take it over playing the kitchen bridge line hoping the clubs aren't 5-0 or KQTx offside? It is possible that the line of setting up the possible endplay never costs whenever the standard play works, but I haven't done the analysis.

It's no good. You've already ruffed once. Ruff spades three times so even with trumps 2-2 you'd be down to only one remaining trump after the elimination. That means you'd have squandered the main and obvious chance to make the hand with the long club when they break 3-2.