This is a hand from a recent swiss teams event in Bothell, near Seattle.
You are South and dealer, holding 85, AK954, KQJ82, A
You open 1H, LHO overcalls 2C, partner bids 2H, pass, 3D from you, pass, 3H by partner and you buy the contract in 4H.
LHO leads the CK and you see:
You win the CA, and play the DK. LHO wins the DA and plays back a club, which you ruff (RHO following to both clubs).
Now when you play HAK, LHO follows with the 6 and Q, and RHO with the 8 and T. When you play the DQ, LHO shows out, throwing a club.
How will you play? [Please think about it before reading on]
At the table, I decided to play RHO to hold the third trump, and if that is the case, you can guarantee the contract!
[Note that there is 50% chance that RHO holds the third trump, using a vacant spaces argument. If you consider some restricted choice argument about LHO throwing HJ from QJ6, the chances are even more. LHO might have even ruffed your DQ...]
After getting the news of the 5-1 diamond split, and assuming RHO has the third trump, you can make it as follows:
Ruff a low diamond in dummy, and play a club from dummy.
If RHO started with 2 clubs, (3=3=5=2 hand), then, on the third club from dummy RHO is caught in a strange squeeze. If he throws a diamond, your diamonds are good. If he ruffs with the HJ, you can throw a loser. Thus he is forced to throw a spade, and come down to 2 spades.
Once RHO throws a spade, you ruff the club in hand (and are now left with 2 spades, a trump and 2 diamonds), and play spade to the A, and a spade back.
If RHO wins the second spade, he can cash his trump, but has to lead into your diamond tenace (thanks to the D8!).
If LHO wins the second spade, then he can only return a spade or a club, in which case you make your last trump en-passant, and can cash the DJ for the tenth trick.
RHO following to the third club is similar.
At the table RHO did in fact have a 3=3=5=2 hand, and was subject to the squeeze, and the defense chose to let RHO win the second spade to lead into the diamond tenace.
Did we win IMPS on this hand? Unfortunately no, as our teammate at the other table led the DA, resolving any issues for declarer, resulting in a push.
If you want to try playing around with the full hand, you can use this handviewer link.
You are South and dealer, holding 85, AK954, KQJ82, A
You open 1H, LHO overcalls 2C, partner bids 2H, pass, 3D from you, pass, 3H by partner and you buy the contract in 4H.
LHO leads the CK and you see:
| IMPS Both | North ♠ AJ942 ♥ 732 ♦ 96 ♣ 854 | |
| South ♠ 85 ♥ AK954 ♦ KQJ82 ♣ A |
| W | N | E | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1H | |||
| 2C | 2H | P | 3D |
| P | 3H | P | 4H |
| P | P | P |
You win the CA, and play the DK. LHO wins the DA and plays back a club, which you ruff (RHO following to both clubs).
Now when you play HAK, LHO follows with the 6 and Q, and RHO with the 8 and T. When you play the DQ, LHO shows out, throwing a club.
How will you play? [Please think about it before reading on]
At the table, I decided to play RHO to hold the third trump, and if that is the case, you can guarantee the contract!
[Note that there is 50% chance that RHO holds the third trump, using a vacant spaces argument. If you consider some restricted choice argument about LHO throwing HJ from QJ6, the chances are even more. LHO might have even ruffed your DQ...]
After getting the news of the 5-1 diamond split, and assuming RHO has the third trump, you can make it as follows:
Ruff a low diamond in dummy, and play a club from dummy.
If RHO started with 2 clubs, (3=3=5=2 hand), then, on the third club from dummy RHO is caught in a strange squeeze. If he throws a diamond, your diamonds are good. If he ruffs with the HJ, you can throw a loser. Thus he is forced to throw a spade, and come down to 2 spades.
Once RHO throws a spade, you ruff the club in hand (and are now left with 2 spades, a trump and 2 diamonds), and play spade to the A, and a spade back.
If RHO wins the second spade, he can cash his trump, but has to lead into your diamond tenace (thanks to the D8!).
If LHO wins the second spade, then he can only return a spade or a club, in which case you make your last trump en-passant, and can cash the DJ for the tenth trick.
RHO following to the third club is similar.
At the table RHO did in fact have a 3=3=5=2 hand, and was subject to the squeeze, and the defense chose to let RHO win the second spade to lead into the diamond tenace.
Did we win IMPS on this hand? Unfortunately no, as our teammate at the other table led the DA, resolving any issues for declarer, resulting in a push.
If you want to try playing around with the full hand, you can use this handviewer link.
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