Ever more daring

[kenberg]

I posted earlier a hand that I played, here is  one I didn't.  I was kibbing  during the after -play discussion.   
 You open 1NT, partner raises to 6NT, the opening lead is the T.


: Q74
: AKQ
: Q7
: AQ654




: A53
: J65
: AK52
: K92

Ok. pard has his bid. If are 3-2 there are 12 tricks and a ply for 13. So we have to worry that maybe do not split.  And of course they don't.

The lead is won on the board, Rho playing the 6. Perhaps we should explore a little. We play !A, !K, Lho discards a on the second . Since he knows from T1 that I hold the AK, I doubt that discard is from 4. And we know from T1 that Rho had, at least, Jx. So it seems the suit was split 5-2. Now two rounds of , ending in hand, Rho throwing a  on the second .

We now know with reasonable certainty that Lho started with a 3=1=4=5 shape.

There was some discussion among the kibs.  If Lho holds the K, then the hand can be made. That's fair enough. But before we play him for that, we should ask if the hand can be made if Rho holds the K. I said that as near as I could see, the hand cannot be made if Rho holds the K. So we assume it is with Lefty. Fortunately, it is.

Upon reflection, I think a reasonable line might be to win the on the board a T1, lead a to hand at T2, and then lead a small toward the board. If the are not splitting then we have to do this sooner or later, and it might as well be sooner. It gives up on the overtrick, but that's ok.

Again I liked the discussion.  Just what goes into the choice?

[wackojack]

My first look at this hand and I thought it was a hand for the Vienna Coup.  You see that the     do not break and then play off the A in order to transfer the menace to the Q  in the South hand in order to effect a    squeeze.  Then I saw that this would not work if another  is played after winning the k  .  This cuts the  communication and so breaks up the potential squeeze. So what is left? 

Yes it looks like as Ken said.  Before playing out the  s, play a  early to the Q.  This gives you your 12th trick if s split badly provided the Q is with East.  If it isnt then you have done your best.   

I was defending this hand with the  suit and didn't see that I must cut the communications with another    when in with the J  .  Instead switched to a  .  and now if declarer effects the Vienna Coup by playing off his A  then hearts will squeeze me into letting go a  or the Q  .  Declarer did not spot this and went one off. 

The lesson is look for the simple.  Do not always think that when you see 11 tricks that a squeeze play is necessary to make the 12th. 
     

[jcreech]

I was among those that misplayed this hand.  Before deciding whether to play this as a Vienna Coup or to play a spade to the queen, I decided it would not hurt to try a couple of hearts.  That told me early of the 6-1 break, and brought about an early diamond pitch. 

I ended up playing for the Vienna Coup, which looked like it would work, if I remembered to rectify the count before !SA.  Since I did not rectify the count, I failed miserably.  C'est la merde!