Hi Bobby,

In 6D, what is the best line of play, assuming HK lead? I’m guessing that it is to draw 2 rounds of trumps (in case they are 4-1) then a third round and to play CA then J etc, as a safety play against West holding CK singleton and assuming West has 7H – 6 seems unlikely. Any thoughts?

Regards,

Iain

Hi Iain and Bobby,In 6D West’s 3H bid NV could easily be a speculative 6 carder with KC or QS outside,but East’s double during the auction means West’s suit is more likely to be a 7carder..therefore KC and QS likely to be in East’s hand.If East had not double,how declarer plays the club suit would be more interesting and in the event of a 4-1 diamond break in either hand,how should the clubs be played?

Hi Iain,

As Henry Higgins told Lisa Doolittle in “My Fair Lady”, “By George, you’ve got it”, at least as far as I am concerned.

Where East got his inspired penalty double of 6 diamonds, no one is likely to ever know, but whatever, it rousted NS away from a winning contract which turned out to be an unnecessarily losing one. And yes, the gamble is between East having two hearts (as you suggested) and 4 clubs including the king as well as the queen of spades, probably more likely as against West having the singleton king of clubs, fortunately, at least IMO and after the double (without all five diamonds), wildly unlikely.

My choice would be that East would have only 1 heart and, West, of course, not the club monarch, to my view slightly increasing the chances of success since if clubs break 3-2 (possible) East doesn’t need to hold the queen of spades so I would disdain what could turn out to be what later may be called a famous “unsafety play” if I then abandoned leading the ace of clubs. but doing so the second round, if that suit broke 5-0. When diamonds break 3-2 I think clubs figure to be 4-1 when it becomes necessary to play East for only a singleton heart. Usually preempts are not 7-2-2-2 so that while playing against them and the choice making a difference, play him for a singleton somewhere although he didn’t lead it, but in this case, while defending a doubled slam, he may have respected his partner enough (though maybe not warranted in this case) not to lead his singleton club but rather the more conservative heart. All very cerebral and not necessarily percentage, but nevertheless often a factor in declaring well.

PS. The declarer needs to be careful the way he handles the diamond suit, in order to create entries back and forth depending on who has what.

Hi Patrick,

Yes, another crossed in the mail. However, happily no contradictions.

After two rounds the diamonds should not be played prematurely since they will serve as entries back and forth and if divided 4-1 will be a major obstacle in the later attempted end play as declarer will need entries back and forth to both cash the fifth club and force East to lead a spade. If East has 4 diamonds it appears declarer must then play him for only 3 clubs and, then wish he had not converted 6 diamonds to 6NT.

No doubt, bridge can be very frustrating at all levels, but usually for different reasons.

An interesting alternate line of play would be to lead back a heart at trick 2.

Hi Jim2,

Since I am such a genius I assume you are talking about declaring 6 diamonds, not 6NT.

If so, it should be done while someone sings a chorus of “Tiptoeing through the Tulips”, drawing two trumps while ruffing 1 heart and one spade and then finessing clubs twice.

Any bridge hero would be proud! One thing for sure is that if you were declarer, West would hold three diamonds and no more than 2 spades (allowing him to throw his second club on the third spade assuming he had only 6 hearts)

6D, yes, with the intent to ruff a heart and a spade.

I did not assert it was best, just interesting. Declarer would gather considerable intel on West’s distribution before making decisions late.