it is funny, how we think sometimes.

When i looked the hands before reading on, i counted my tricks and there are 2 clubs, 4 Hearts and need additional 3. The Diamond suit does not provide enough for the contract so need to play on spades imho.

i am not sure which line to choose, 1) small to the Q 2) heart to dummy and run the Q, i think i would took the first line at the table, to preserve entry for the K club.

P.S.

Seasons greetings to all and to Mr. Wolf as usuall i enjoy to read your blog.

Hi Alex,

Thanks for your kind note and happiness and other joys of the season to you.

Yes, today’s hand is real and taken from a mind battle between two of America’s best relatively young pairs.

Many, as would you, go after spades in order to score our nine tricks and when the Ace of clubs turns up where it should be, all would be peaceful on the way to success. However, Steve’s line, as the column suggests, of leading a diamond first and if that holds, then switching to spades could also work. Whatever though was the motive, the defense was magnificent and shows the beauties of the game from the top.

Thanks for writing.

Yes, best wishes for the Holidays, Mr. Wolff!

When I first read this hand, I placed the club ace with West. The low lead with the J-10-9 all out there seemed additional evidence. Thus, West could not have both the spade king and the diamond ace, putting one or both those cards in the East hand.

Cashing two high hearts in hand would reveal the 3-2 break, and allow over-take to take a spade finesse. Once that won, declarer could either continue to play on spades or, simply shift to diamonds.

Hi Jim2,

And the happiest of holiday seasons to you and yours.

The opening leader could (theoretically) have had J9642 or J9542 of clubs or even one of those holdings missing the 2, instead of holding the Ace, so, if the dummy’s diamond king holds in dummy and then the spade queen loses to the king, as you have then suggested, East (because of West’s initial pass) will likely have the ace of clubs. But unless West has chosen a cunning 5th best club lead, that learned information is unlikely to be of benefit to the declarer.

Thanks for your ever present, always cogent analysis.

Dear Sir
The brilliant defense notwithstanding, I think a technically superior play is available to the declarer ( as some of the readers have submitted) Suppose after winning C Q, he plays H K, H Q & H J overtaken with H A in dummy ( after seeing EW follow both earlier rounds of hearts) and now advances D 5 from dummy- East has to duck this otherwise declarer will have easy nine tricks..- If west wins he cannot have S K ( lest he would have overcalled with 11+ points ) & the Spade finesse is bound to succeed. After winning D Q, south plays a heart to 9 and runs S Q. If W wins he can at most cash his C A & return a Diamond ( & only if East has 4 or 5 diamonds with A & J the contract will fail) . As the cards lie declarer can make ten tricks as spades break ( by the way which cards did E & W discard on hearts?)
This analysis is made on single dummy problem unlike the comment I sent sometime back on the Deal figured on 1st Feb 2011 Wherein the analysis was double dummy. However in that hand if the Diamond finesse is working there is no defense
Regards
A.V.Ramana Rao

A.V.Ramana Rao —

Our Host’s reply to my somewhat similar line was that the location of the AC remains unconfirmed. Until West plays the AC, East could hold it, meaning that West could hold both the AD and the KS.

Hi Jim2
At the outset – sorry. I posted & just forgot trill you reminded
Coming to the hand. West cannot have both minor suit Aces and also Spade K otherwise he would have overcalled . Also he cannot have just Spade K without any Ace. It would be too ambitious to lead the clubs. So he can have Spade King with either of the Ace or Just one minor suit A or both minor suit Aces. So you run Four heart tricks ending in dummy and take a spade finesse. If it loses and if west leads a club, you have to guess whether he has underled his A .If so , you play club K & if It wins hope for spade break and for three winners . However if spade finesse wins ( east covering) declarer is assured of two spade tricks and now he can shift attention to diamonds leading a low diamond . If west wins with A and leads a club, you have to judge again whether to play K catering to west underleading his A or duck for one round expecting to block the suit. Meanwhile As I mentioned in earlier posting – which are the cards discarded by EW on hearts? Perhaps this gives a clue how to proceed. And if East wins Diamond A when you play a Diamond, club A is marked with West.
Me too placed C A with A with west from beginning.
Anyway lot of ramificatons involved.
Thanks & regards
AVRR

AVRR –

Hi, again!

First of all, your line is very similar to the one I suggested.

Second, West was the dealer vulnerable, and his next chance to bid would have been to overcall a strong notrump facing a partner who did not open the bidding in third seat. So, while we have all drawn the inference that West does not have both missing aces and the KS, it is not a certainty.

Third, if I have to guess/judge which minor suit ace is in which defender’s hand, I will always get it wrong.

Hi Jim 2
OK
& coming to the last statement, in a lighter vein —
In a Bridge game between equal players, those whom dame luck favors
win
Regards
AVRR

🙂