rainbow@ihuxe.UUCP (08/15/84)
S:87542 H:T3 D:Q63 C:A75 S: H:AKQ6 D:K9 C:KJT9863 W N E S 1H P P 2H(strong) 2S P P 3C 3S 4C P 4H P 6C Lead:KS What is your best line of play? ******************************* >> Thank the opponents for bidding so much. Ruff. Play low diamond towards the >> Q(hope west has the ace). West must duck or else you have a place to pitch >> your heart. Now pull trump finessing east if necessary. Run the trumps. >> Come down to four hearts and the KD. West must come down to four hearts >> and the AD. End play west with the diamond. Take the last four heart >> tricks. > "The JH exit is fatal by west at this point. Instead west must also be made > responsible for the spade menace. Then the defense falls apart." -Jeff Halle Yes indeed. I stand corrected. The hand is more complex than originally thought. Play should go as follows. Ruff spade lead. Low diamond to the Q playing west for the Ace. Ruff a spade. AC unblocking. 7C finesse preserving the 5C as a possible and necessary entry. Ruff another spade. Run trump. Now the five card ending is as follows: S:87 H:Tx D:x C: S: irrelevent H:Jxxx D:A C: S: H:AKQx D:K C: Exit with the KD. Now even the JH exit is foiled by declarer. In my source for this problem they call this a "moon menace." Those little innocent spades appear to have no real value whatsoever, but they become ever so deadly.