ching@hp-pcd.UUCP (05/14/84)
/***** hp-pcd:net.rec.bridge / houxz!halle1 / 2:11 pm May 21, 1984*/ The line given is fine if west was forced to lead a spade (say by a gun to the head), but is irrelevant to this hand. If west had a five card suit anywhere, he would almost certainly lead it, thus the heart cannot be doubleton nor can the club fall. If west had led from three spades, he more likely has the ten than not, so the finesse is not called for. One of the points of this hand is the card reading: creating a hand that is consistent with all the available information, including negative inferences. /* ---------- */ It leads to the interesting question of openning lead problem. It is clear that west is unlikely to have any entry to his hand. What will you lead under this situation? Will you lead your five card suit if you have one? What's your justification?
ching@hp-pcd.UUCP (05/15/84)
/***** hp-pcd:net.rec.bridge / houxz!halle1 / 12:22 pm May 17, 1984*/
S:K7
H:843
D:K652
C:J843
S:J942
H:KQ6
D:AQT4
C:AK
Contract:3NT
Lead:3S
East wins Q,A, and exits with the 6S
East opened the bidding with a 1D call
Whats your best line of play?
##############################################
>From the bidding and opening lead, it is clear that east holds
S:AQ6 H:Axx D:xxxx C:Qxx. If east's diamonds contain the jack,
the hand cannot be made, so assume that west holds it.
Win the third spade, and cash the diamond. Lo and behold, the J drops.
Now exit with the spade. East is squeezed. If he throws a club, the queen
drops; if he throws a diamond, you can force two entries in diamonds to
lead hearts twice. So he throws a heart. West returns a club (best).
Now lead the diamond 4 to the K, and lead a heart. You take one spade,
two hearts, four diamonds, and two clubs.
/* ---------- */
It is possible that east has five diamonds. In this case, east have at
most five cards in heart and club. After winning the third spade, cash
AD. If JD drops, procede as above. If west can not follow diamond, then
cash A & K of club. If QC is knocked out, then KD to dummy. Cash JC.
Finesse diamond. Setup a trick in heart. You take one spade, one heart,
four diamonds, three clubs, and the contract. If QC does not drop,
low diamond to KD. Low heart toward hand. If east has singleton AH, he
has been thrown in. East can cash QC, but that's all. He has to give
you either a third club trick or fourth diamond trick that you need to
make the contract. If east has doubleton heart, but make a mistake by
ducking the first heart, then win first heart, followed by a small heart
to throw in east. The worst case is east has doubleton heart and playes
correctly by taking first heart and exit with another heart. Down one
in this case. The above line of play has explored all possibility to make
the contract.halle1@houxz.UUCP (J.HALLE) (05/17/84)
S:K7 H:843 D:K652 C:J843 S:J942 H:KQ6 D:AQT4 C:AK Contract:3NT Lead:3S East wins Q,A, and exits with the 6S East opened the bidding with a 1D call Whats your best line of play? ############################################## From the bidding and opening lead, it is clear that east holds S:AQ6 H:Axx D:xxxx C:Qxx. If east's diamonds contain the jack, the hand cannot be made, so assume that west holds it. Win the third spade, and cash the diamond. Lo and behold, the J drops. Now exit with the spade. East is squeezed. If he throws a club, the queen drops; if he throws a diamond, you can force two entries in diamonds to lead hearts twice. So he throws a heart. West returns a club (best). Now lead the diamond 4 to the K, and lead a heart. You take one spade, two hearts, four diamonds, and two clubs.
halle1@houxz.UUCP (J.HALLE) (05/22/84)
The line given is fine if west was forced to lead a spade (say by a gun to the head), but is irrelevant to this hand. If west had a five card suit anywhere, he would almost certainly lead it, thus the heart cannot be doubleton nor can the club fall. If west had led from three spades, he more likely has the ten than not, so the finesse is not called for. One of the points of this hand is the card reading: creating a hand that is consistent with all the available information, including negative inferences.