If I am not missing something double dummy wouldnt D 4 at trick 2 better play intending to finesse diamond 8. If west takes Diamond Ace D suit is through. If West ducks and D 8 wins declarer himself ruffs a spade and plays Diamond King if West ducks even that he is thrown with a trump after cashing Heart Ace. Now there are two trumps left in dummy and declarer has a trump. West is endplayed. If he plays a spade dummy’s club goes with declarer ruffing in hand. So declarer loses only a heart and diamond Ace. If West wins Diamond King with Ace and exits with diamond he is thrown in with a trump after cashing Heart Ace.
My line also fails if west wins diamond Ace at trick 2 as he has safe diamond exit when thrown in with a trump later. So if D 4 is played West has to win with Ace but if D King is played he has to duck to defeat the contract.
The only advantage of playing D 4 is that if West is led into belief that South is 0517 East will get in with D K and Club shift from him will defeat the contract immediately. And if South indeed is 0517 4 Spades will make.
regards
Shantanu Rastogi
A V Ramana RaoMarch 2nd, 2024 at 11:11 am
Hi Dear Mr Wolff
Ironically, it is the initial lead which presented the contract . If west reflects for a while that the spade K is not going to cash after partner’s vulnerable raise to three spades , he might have as well laid down diamond A and now even if south unblocks diamond K, finesses diamond, he can never strip spades and west has a safe exit and comes to three tricks. Sometimes what we think would do us good actually does bad , just like in life. One can certainly become philosophical playing bridge
Regards
bobbywolffMarch 2nd, 2024 at 2:35 pm
Hi Shantanu & AV,
Our site is no doubt supremely fortunate to have you two available and totally capable of the highest level of bridge analysis. Not that you two do not share, through the years, with others competing to equal both of you in that supreme talent, we merely call bridge.
For me to merely “Thank both of you!” is indeed a heinous underbid, especially when you also present your special talent with no strings attached.
However AV, if you ever encounter this exact hand hand as declarer
and, assuming the same bidding, if West then lays down the Ace of diamonds for his opening lead, even as great an analyst as you are
then, no doubt, especially if the stakes for winning were either an important bridge championship or coin of the realm, you, at the very least should expect you have died and gone to bridge heaven or else there is something rotten in the state of (not necessarily Denmark) but in whose paws, at the very least, this hand was christened.
In any event, THANKS TO BOTH OF YOU FOR ALL YOU CONTRIBUTE!
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Hello Bobby Sir
If I am not missing something double dummy wouldnt D 4 at trick 2 better play intending to finesse diamond 8. If west takes Diamond Ace D suit is through. If West ducks and D 8 wins declarer himself ruffs a spade and plays Diamond King if West ducks even that he is thrown with a trump after cashing Heart Ace. Now there are two trumps left in dummy and declarer has a trump. West is endplayed. If he plays a spade dummy’s club goes with declarer ruffing in hand. So declarer loses only a heart and diamond Ace. If West wins Diamond King with Ace and exits with diamond he is thrown in with a trump after cashing Heart Ace.
regards
Shantanu Rastogi
Hello Bobby Sir
My line also fails if west wins diamond Ace at trick 2 as he has safe diamond exit when thrown in with a trump later. So if D 4 is played West has to win with Ace but if D King is played he has to duck to defeat the contract.
regards
Shantanu Rastogi
Hello Bobby Sir
The only advantage of playing D 4 is that if West is led into belief that South is 0517 East will get in with D K and Club shift from him will defeat the contract immediately. And if South indeed is 0517 4 Spades will make.
regards
Shantanu Rastogi
Hi Dear Mr Wolff
Ironically, it is the initial lead which presented the contract . If west reflects for a while that the spade K is not going to cash after partner’s vulnerable raise to three spades , he might have as well laid down diamond A and now even if south unblocks diamond K, finesses diamond, he can never strip spades and west has a safe exit and comes to three tricks. Sometimes what we think would do us good actually does bad , just like in life. One can certainly become philosophical playing bridge
Regards
Hi Shantanu & AV,
Our site is no doubt supremely fortunate to have you two available and totally capable of the highest level of bridge analysis. Not that you two do not share, through the years, with others competing to equal both of you in that supreme talent, we merely call bridge.
For me to merely “Thank both of you!” is indeed a heinous underbid, especially when you also present your special talent with no strings attached.
However AV, if you ever encounter this exact hand hand as declarer
and, assuming the same bidding, if West then lays down the Ace of diamonds for his opening lead, even as great an analyst as you are
then, no doubt, especially if the stakes for winning were either an important bridge championship or coin of the realm, you, at the very least should expect you have died and gone to bridge heaven or else there is something rotten in the state of (not necessarily Denmark) but in whose paws, at the very least, this hand was christened.
In any event, THANKS TO BOTH OF YOU FOR ALL YOU CONTRIBUTE!
.