[han]

White against red, teams.

1S - (2C) - 4S - (5C)
??

AQ10xx
A109x
KJx
x

[andy_h]

Pass. I like my chances for a plus score

[han]

I also passed. Partner leads the heart jack and you see:

Scoring: IMP

---

Yes, it turns out you had the jack of clubs as well, does that change your call?

You duck the lead to declarer's queen and declarer plays a club to the queen (partner following with the 3) and a spade up. You?

[OleBerg]

Pass (Or double if I am bloodthirsty or partner is prone to sacrificing in such spots.)

At the table I would definately use the A♠.

By posting the problem, you have persuaded me to duck. Why didnt partner lead a spade? Perhaps because he thought they had no future. So I duck, playing partner for the K and five more in spades, two hearts, four diamonds and a single club.

[gnasher]

han, on Jun 29 2008, 12:54 PM, said:

You duck the lead to declarer's queen

I wouldn't have done. It seems very likely that partner has a singleton heart - who would lead from Jx in a side suit on this auction? Ducking costs the contract immediately if declarer has Kx Qxx x AKxxxxx, giving partner Jxxxx J xxxxxx x.

Having got to where you are, you have to guess whether to:

(a) Duck, playing declarer for Jx Qxx x AKxxxxx and partner for Kxxxx J xxxxxx x. Partner will get in and play a diamond through, then at the end you can talk about how much easier it would have been if you'd taken ♥A at trick one.

or

(b) Play the ace, playing declarer for K Qxx xx AKxxxxx and partner for Jxxxxx J 10xxxx x.

Edit: In my example (b), I've just given responder ♦10 to avoid any further nastiness once you've won ♠A - you can play back ♦K and just survive thereafter.

[han]

Would you both also pass 5C?

[gnasher]

I hadn't answered that question already because I hadn't decided. Perhaps this is a double - you expect them to go one down, and it might be two down if partner contributes something useful.

[catch22]

gnasher, on Jun 29 2008, 10:39 AM, said:

(a) Duck, playing declarer for Jx Qxx x AKxxxxx and partner for Kxxxx J xxxxxx x. 

or

( Play the ace, playing declarer for K Qxx xx AKxxxxx and partner for Jxxxxx J 10xxxx x.

Would partner have passed out 5C with these hands?

[MFA]

I agree with ♥A + ♥. Leading from Jx is way too weird here, so I trust partner to have a singleton jack.

I would not double 5♣, but it is certainly not absurd to do so, perhaps one actually should.

[gnasher]

catch22, on Jun 29 2008, 08:02 PM, said:

Would partner have passed out 5C with these hands?

Don't know, but aren't they the only hands where it matters what I do?

[OleBerg]

MFA, on Jun 29 2008, 09:51 PM, said:

I agree with ♥A + ♥. Leading from Jx is way too weird here, so I trust partner to have a singleton jack.

I would not double 5♣, but it is certainly not absurd to do so, perhaps one actually should.

Perhaps partner took his time before leading the J♥.

[Codo]

I have a name for guys who like to lead from Jx after this auction: Expartner.

So I take my ace and hopefully he will score two ruffs.

I think I should have doubled, but I had missed it.

[Fluffy]

If declarer was to endplay me with ♠A, he would had drawed the remaing trumps before playing a spade up not leaving me with a possible exit card.

I go up with ♠A and return another spade.


Reading others have convinced me to go up with ♥A at first trick, wich I didn't like at first.

About the bidding it looks like a clear pass, we have nothing different than a regular 1♠ opening.

[han]

Partner had Jxxxx Jx xxxx xx I believe. You need partner to lead a diamond lead to beat the contract.

[gnasher]

han, on Jul 1 2008, 03:54 PM, said:

Partner had Jxxxx Jx xxxx xx I believe. You need partner to lead a diamond lead to beat the contract.

This is the full hand:

---

Maybe I'm missing something, but I can't see how declarer makes after two rounds of spades. North's ♥J protects South from being endplayed with the second round of hearts

[han]

You mean after a spade lead? Yes it looks like you are right.