4SX
David W.
West Dealer
AQ63
6
KJT87
K83
98754
T75
A42
T4
Auction:
West North East South
==== ==== ===== =====
1C 1D 1H P
3H Dbl Rdbl* 3S
P P 4H P
P 4S Dbl P
P P
At his second turn to bid, East inquires about North's double and is
told that while there is no specific agreement, the most likely
explanation based on other similar auctions, is takeout.
The opening lead is the diamond five:
D5, T, Q, A
S4, 2, ?
Comments on the auction would be if interest. How would you handle
the contract?
Cheers,
David W.
patri...@gmail.com
The opponents have 23 HCP between them, and I'd expect them to be
distributed roughly 17-6 or 16-7. East has the QD and probably some
heart honor(s) (is that what the redouble showed, or did East just
redouble because he liked the color blue?), so I'm inclined to place
West with the KS and the AC. Besides, what choice do I have? If East
has either of those cards, I don't see much hope (unless East has AC
and spades are 2-2 with K onside, which the line below caters for
anyway).
I don't see anything better than the natural line--finesse and cash
the AS. If West started with KJx of spades (wouldn't be surprising,
given that the 5D is probably singleton), I play KT of diamonds and
ruff a diamond, then lead a club to the K. Eventually I ruff a heart
in dummy and pitch my other heart loser on the long diamond (or ruff
it, if West has ruffed in with his master trump at some point). Losing
a club, a heart, and a spade. If East started with the singleton KS
and the opps get two diamond ruffs, or if West was 4-4 in the majors,
I shrug my shoulders and tell my partner that 4H was probably cold
anyway.
Ok, what did I do wrong? Did East have Kx of spades or something?
Eric Leong
South should have bid 4S over 4H. North bid 4S on the presumption his
partner can't bid.
>How would you handle
> the contract?
>
> Cheers,
> David W.
The diamond lead is clearly a stiff. LHO would not lead a stiff
diamond when he holds: S Kx.
Also, if LHO had S KJx or S K10x he might not lead a stiff diamond.
Also, that would leave RHO doubling on a stiff spade which is
inconsistent with his double. With spade shortness you would want to
pass and let partner decide. Further, the bidding is consistent with
LHO holding 2=4=1=6 shape and RHO holding 2=5=4=2 shape.
I would play for the hands to be something like:
S xx S Kx
H AQxx H KJ10xx
D x D Qxxx
C AQJxxx C xx
and I would go up with the spade ace and play another spade.
Eric Leong
Charles Brenner
North-South, especially North, navigated a tough auction pretty well.
> How would you handle the contract?
East's cover of the diamond jack is suspicious. Surely East knows
there is nothing to gain by such a play, except in the sense that the
defense gains if declarer accepts the Greek gift of an entry to hand
and finesses the spade. Ergo, play a spade to the ace.
Charles
The Midnight Skulker
> West Dealer
>
> AQ63
> 6
> KJT87
> K83
>
> 98754
> T75
> A42
> T4
>
> Auction:
> West North East South
> ==== ==== ===== =====
> 1C 1D 1H P
> 3H Dbl Rdbl* 3S
> P P 4H P
> P 4S Dbl P
> P P
>
> At his second turn to bid, East inquires about North's double and is
> told that while there is no specific agreement, the most likely
> explanation based on other similar auctions, is takeout.
If this is significant it probably shows that East was worried that
maybe his partner had raised on only a doubleton.
> The opening lead is the diamond five:
>
> D5, T, Q, A
> S4, 2, ?
>
> Comments on the auction would be if interest. How would you handle
> the contract?
Personally I have an issue with North's 4S call. While what strength
he has is well placed, he may well be facing a Yarborough with short
diamonds and long clubs. I suppose South could be faulted for not
bidding 4S at his second or third turn, but I would be defending 4H
(for
a below average score since 4S looks like, at worst, a good
sacrifice).
As for the play of the hand, I am going to assume a couple things:
1) this is match points, and
2) I am not going to have much company in 4S.
Obviously, then, if I make this contract I've got a top, but even if I
don't I have a good score providing 4H makes. Since it does not look
like I can go down more than 2 tricks without revoking (losing 2
clubs,
a spade, a diamond ruff, and a heart), I need to play for an E-W
distribution where 4H goes down.
The opening lead looks, smells, and quacks like a singleton, so E-W
have
only one diamond loser in 4H. With no heart losers and a single club
loser they must therefore have two spade losers, and the only way that
can be the case is for West to have started with K2. Consequently, I
put in the Q at trick 2, and when East follows with the J or T I lead
the A. Chances are I'll even score an overtrick since West almost has
to have CA for his 3H call.
OK, so what can possibly go wrong, go wrong, go wrong, ... . IMHO the
worst that can happen is to lose the spade finesse to a stiff K, for
then playing the A would be the superior play. (For any other spade
distribution the finesse is at least as good.) East returns a diamond
which West ruffs, back comes a heart which East wins, another diamond
lets West make his last trump, and the CA completes the defense (for
down 2) unless East has that card, which would mean West jumped to 3H
with something like S:JT2, H:AKJx, D:5, C:QJTxx and East redoubled
(rather than passed) with a ragged heart suit. I'll bet that is not
the case.
For completeness, I believe the E-W hands are pretty close to
WEST EAST
---- ----
KJ2 T
Qxx AKJxxx
5 Q963
AQJxxx xx
West stretched a bit for his 3H call, perhaps not realizing (yet) that
his SK was not pulling its full weight. East redoubled to show his
sixth heart, and subsequently doubled 4S feeling the hand really
belonged to his side but fearing 5H wouldn't make (and it doesn't).
Note that if I am right 4S makes with the spade finesse followed by
the
SA (losing SK, HA,and CA) while playing SA at trick 2 either loses two
trump tricks outright (if another spade is led immediately) or SK and
a
diamond ruff if South tries to get to his hand to lead spades.
1 2
| The Midnight Skulker
9 * 3 aka Van Lewis
aka cvle...@gmail.com
6
Andrew
> West Dealer
>
> AQ63
> 6
> KJT87
> K83
>
> 98754
> T75
> A42
> T4
>
> Auction:
> West North East South
> ==== ==== ===== =====
> 1C 1D 1H P
> 3H Dbl Rdbl* 3S
> P P 4H P
> P 4S Dbl P
> P P
1. South was worth a 2D raise on the first round. South wants a
diamond lead if LHO bids 1NT doesn't he?
2. South has a massive hand after the double of 3H. His 3S was an
underbid. I like 4S rather than 3S. South's 3S call does not show a
useful ace or a secondary fit for diamonds.
3. North has exactly what he has shown already. 4S was a poor bid that
deserved to go for a number facing:
S: xxxxx
H: Qxx
D: xx
C: xxx
> The opening lead is the diamond five:
>
> D5, T, Q, A
> S4, 2, ?
I think LHO has led a singleton. A doubleton lead in LHO's suit is not
attractive and oculd be quite dangerous, especially if LHO had no
spade control.
The cover of the DT is puzzling. I agree with Charles that against an
expert player, RHO probably wants you in hand to hook a spade
unsuccessfully. If RHO holds the SK, then perhaps the layout is
something like one of these:
JT, AQJx, x, AJxxxx opposite: Kx, Kxxxx, Qxxx, Qx
JTx, AQJx, x, AQxxx opposite K, Kxxxx, Qxxx, Jxx
If RHO is a competent player, I will play spade to the ace and another
spade. If RHO is known to be a poor player, I will insult him by
hooking the SQ.
Andrew
The Midnight Skulker
> > West Dealer
>
> > AQ63
> > 6
> > KJT87
> > K83
>
> > 98754
> > T75
> > A42
> > T4
>
> expert player, RHO probably wants you in hand to hook a spade
> unsuccessfully. If RHO holds the SK, then perhaps the layout is
> something like one of these:
>
> JT, AQJx, x, AJxxxx opposite: Kx, Kxxxx, Qxxx, Qx
>
> JTx, AQJx, x, AQxxx opposite K, Kxxxx, Qxxx, Jxx
If West's D5 is a singleton then East holds Q963. Might not East cover
the T without SK to make South ruff the fourth diamond?
Andrew
> > > Both Vul
> > > West Dealer
>
> > > AQ63
> > > 6
> > > KJT87
> > > K83
>
> > > 98754
> > > T75
> > > A42
> > > T4
>
> > The cover of the DT is puzzling. I agree with Charles that against an
> > expert player, RHO probably wants you in hand to hook a spade
> > unsuccessfully. If RHO holds the SK, then perhaps the layout is
> > something like one of these:
>
> > JT, AQJx, x, AJxxxx opposite: Kx, Kxxxx, Qxxx, Qx
>
> > JTx, AQJx, x, AQxxx opposite K, Kxxxx, Qxxx, Jxx
>
> If West's D5 is a singleton then East holds Q963. Might not East cover
> the T without SK to make South ruff the fourth diamond?
If he ducks the diamond declarer will still have to ruff the fourth
diamond.
Andrew
The Midnight Skulker
> diamond.
Rats! You beat me to my correction. I don't know what I was
thinking, or even if I was thinking!
You and Charles make a good point about East's diamond play, but I
still take the trump finesse as South. I'm playing East for six
hearts to three honors. He has already shown me the DQ. If he has
the SK as well, even stiff, then I have to think West got his 3H bid
on shape alone. So what's he doing passing 3S, implying a willingness
to defend, instead of bidding 4H himself?