[KurtGodel]

Your thoughts on how to play this hand?

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9♦ lead, which could be from xx, xxx, or xxxx.

[nige1]

KurtGodel asks "Your thoughts on how to play this hand?
9♦ lead, which could be from xx, xxx, or xxxx".

Win ♦KQJ. Finesse ♣9. If it wins or loses to ♣A, then claim. If it loses to ♣J. Win return (say a ♥ with ♥A). Cash ♦A discarding ♠T Lead ♣Q. Win return. Play ♥KQ and claim if they break. Otherwise, lead a ♠ to the ♠K.

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[phil_20686]

I think its probably right to just start establishing the spades, assuming that its teams. If I start by running the spade ten, I don't really see what can go wrong. north will be on lead, what will he do next? If south has Qj or Jx, or covers the ten mistakenly, he cannot prevent me from establishing two spade tricks. If I can establish two spade tricks the entry problems are a mirage, as I can overtake a diamond.

I am not sure exactly how its going to work out, but it feels very passive plus, in that if they just continue passively with diamonds I will eventually get 7 red suit tricks, and one in each black suit against even the worst possible layouts. If they switch to a more aggressive approach and switch to a club, I get two clubs. If hearts are 3-3 I will just always make.

The alternative line that I considered is just to play seven red suit cards and exit a heart, the problem is that this squeezes the west hand. Its not that easy to force them to play a black suit from the right hands.

Nigels line of finessubg the club early seems very dangerous, as if you run into AJxxx club you are basically relying on the spade ace being on the right side or 3-3 hearts, when it just feels like a hand where the opps will struggle to establish 5 tricks if we take things slowly.

[wanoff]

Lets assume it's imps. I'd play the double spade finesse, superficially 4 diamonds,3 hearts and a trick in each black suit.
So cash KQJ♦ and finesse 10♠. If North wins with the Q or J, take the heart return with the A and cash the A♦ pitching a heart. Return to K♥ and repeat the spade finesse.
If Q and J♠ were split, North if he takes this may well be endplayed. But if not, taking the 2 worst cases in turn:

a) North has 4 hearts and can exit a heart - take Q♥ and play a club to the Q and the 9th trick in spades. If the Q♣ loses there will still be a club finesse for the contract.
b) The 9♠ wins. Now yow will have to reach the stranded Q♥. Probably best to play Q♣ and see who blinks.

[Phil]

phil_20686, on 2015-September-01, 07:43, said:

I think its probably right to just start establishing the spades, assuming that its teams. If I start by running the spade ten, I don't really see what can go wrong. north will be on lead, what will he do next?

Things get pretty awkward if North shifts to a heart.