[pclayton]

Here's a 4S that was played in Pau. if someone knows what match, I'd look to look up the record and see the different routes some declarers took.

Scoring: IMP

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You play 4♠. RHO opens a weak 2♥ (or a variant) and LHO raises. LHO leads the ♣K.

Try to address as many variations as possible.

[kenrexford]

[Messed up analysis -- finally notice that RHO opened a weak two, not LHO. Duh!]

[gnasher]

kenrexford, on Jun 27 2008, 08:47 PM, said:

I lack entries to pick up QJx.

No you don't. You're in dummy with ♣A, and you have ♦A as another entry.

[kenrexford]

gnasher, on Jun 27 2008, 06:35 PM, said:

kenrexford, on Jun 27 2008, 08:47 PM, said:

I lack entries to pick up QJx.

No you don't. You're in dummy with ♣A, and you have ♦A as another entry.

Oh yeah.

But I'm still not playing for that.

[nige1]

pclayton, on Jun 27 2008, 01:54 PM, said:

Scoring: IMP

Here's a 4S that was played in Pau.
if someone knows what match, I'd look to look up the record and see the different routes some declarers took.
You play 4♠. RHO opens a weak 2♥ (or a variant) and LHO raises.
LHO leads the ♣K.
Try to address as many variations as possible.

---

I don't know the hand. There are lots of variations. A basic plan could be: finesse ♦J; draw a round of trumps; and ruff a ♦ in dummy. Potentially that gives you 1 ♣, 2♦ and 8 ♠.

You can expect one of your potential tricks to dissolve in the wash. For example, RHO may ruff the opening ♣ lead. At the other extreme, if ♣ are 3-2, you may not need a ♦ ruff, and you may be able to cope with a bad trump position.

Anyway you've got to do something; So play ♣A on the opening ♣K lead. If ♣A stands up, then exit with ♣9.

[FrancesHinden]

This is nasty because of all the trump promotion potential.

I don't feel I can afford to duck the opening lead (which I'd quite like to) because of the fairly good chance that clubs are 4-1.

So I shall win the opening lead (assuming it isn't ruffed) and play a heart.
i) If they win and play a heart I ruff, take a diamond finesse, cash the ace of diamonds, spade to the ace, diamond ruff, heart ruff, king of spades losing a spade, a club and a heart. Similarly if they win and play any non-club.

ii) If they win, cash a club and play a third club ruff on my right with a spade honour I need spades 2-2 (as you neglected to give me the S9) - I over-ruff and play ace of spades and a spade.

Alternative 1 is to play for spades coming in for no loser, or the diamond finesse plus clubs 3-2 (win the lead, AK of spades, club). This has extra chances because if LHO has KQx of clubs he can't win the second club to play a diamond through and might not want to underlead the HA.

Alternative 2 is to win, play a spade to the ace and a diamond to the jack. If that holds, continue with ace of diamonds, heart off. Extra chance that trumps are 3-1 with singleton honour on my right as they can't stop the diamond ruff without costing a trump trick.

I still think I'm going to win and play a heart. If RHO has the HA he might take the heart off which puts me in a better position.

[pclayton]

Bocchi played as Frances did. Win the club, exit a heart. LHO wins and plays a diamond, and finesse losing to the K. RHO plays a club back, and LHO plays the 3rd ♣, RHO pitches a diamond (from 3=6=2=2) and you are dead.

I'm getting this 3rd hand, but I heard Val Kovachev for Bulgaria won the club and played ♠A, finding the quack offside, and simply played ♦A, and hooked spade for 10.

[nige1]

pclayton, on Jul 2 2008, 10:58 AM, said:

Bocchi played as Frances did. Win the club, exit a heart. LHO wins and plays a diamond, and finesse losing to the K. RHO plays a club back, and LHO plays the 3rd ♣, RHO pitches a diamond (from 3=6=2=2) and you are dead.

I'm getting this 3rd hand, but I heard Val Kovachev for Bulgaria won the club and played ♠A, finding the quack offside, and simply played ♦A, and hooked spade for 10.

I much prefer the Frances-Bocchi line to Kovachev's. Frances has lots of chances; but vacant places to some extent balance restricted choice for Kovachev; on top of which is the chance that LHO has found a cunning false-card with ♦K and ♠ QJx