[sathyab]

Scoring: XIMP

---

When people discuss IMPs it's more about bidding than dummy play or defense, but every once in a while you do come across a few interesting play problems. This shouldn't be hard at all really, especially when stated as a problem, but quite a few decent players I showed it to at the regional last weekend didn't get it right.

The bidding was 1h-3c-4h, with opponents remaining silent. 3c was a Bergen raise showing a constructive raise with 4 trumps. LHO leads the Ace, RHO follows suit with the 7. LHO continues with the 2 of clubs and you put up the King and your judgement is rewarded when RHO plays the Queen. What's your plan ?

[inquiry]

sathyab, on Feb 20 2007, 07:11 PM, said:

The bidding was 1h-3c-4h, with opponents remaining silent. 3c was a Bergen raise showing a constructive raise with 4 trumps. LHO leads the Ace, RHO follows suit with the 7. LHO continues with the 2 of clubs and you put up the King and your judgement is rewarded when RHO plays the Queen. What's your plan ?

LHO leads the ACE of what? ♣ or ♦?

[sathyab]

Sorry, I should have said "LHO leads the Ace of Clubs and continues with the deuce at T2".

[Apollo81]

If trumps are not 2-2 then you will have to endplay RHO (who must hold the ♠K) to make. I would ruff a club with the ♥10, draw one round of trumps, and lead the ♦K and ♦Q. Presumably the ♦A will win one of these and return a diamond (either opp) a spade (LHO) or a trump (RHO). I win, clear diamonds, and then put RHO in with his ♥Q to lead a spade or give a ruff/sluff if hearts didn't break 2-2. This line contains the following risks:

If LHO started with 2-2 rounded suits and the ♥Q, I am down in a cold game.

If RHO started with the ♠K, ♥Qxx, and ♦xx, I will fail when I could have succeeded by drawing 2 rounds of trumps. However, if I were to draw 2 rounds of trumps then I fail when RHO started with the ♦A and ♥Qxx.

If LHO started with 3 clubs, ♥Qx, and no ♦A, I allow myself to be uppercut. This is very unlikely due to LHO's continuation of the ♣2.

[Free]

Agree with Apollo's line: ruffing a ♣ followed by 1 round of trumps seems the best start to me as well.

[FrancesHinden]

What's the point in ruffing a club? There are huge indications that clubs are 6-2 anyway, so there's little point in ruffing one.

As I'm on table at trick 2, I would rather play a diamond to the king at once. Good luck to any LHO who manages to duck this.

[Apollo81]

FrancesHinden, on Feb 21 2007, 06:59 AM, said:

What's the point in ruffing a club? There are huge indications that clubs are 6-2 anyway, so there's little point in ruffing one.

As I'm on table at trick 2, I would rather play a diamond to the king at once. Good luck to any LHO who manages to duck this.

If you don't ruff a club, you can't endplay RHO when he started with ♥Qxx and ♦Axx or longer unless he started with a doubleton club.

Your ♦K is ducked. Presumably you draw one trump and lead the ♦Q, which is also ducked to deprive you of a dummy entry. Now you cash the last trump and exit a diamond. RHO wins and plays a club.

[FrancesHinden]

1. LHO led the ace of clubs without the K, Q or J. That is very likely to be from Ace to length, or possibly from Ax.

2. RHO played the Queen on the second round of the suit. That is either from Qx or Q1097xx. The first of these is wildly more likely, because
a) RHO probably wouldn't play the 7 on the first round
RHO probably wouldn't play the Q smoothly on the second round
c) Axxxxx is a more likely lead on this auction than Ax

3. I really would much rather the first diamond is taken. It's more likely to be taken if I start by leading a diamond from dummy towards the king.

[inquiry]

Apollo81, on Feb 21 2007, 08:32 AM, said:

FrancesHinden, on Feb 21 2007, 06:59 AM, said:

What's the point in ruffing a club?  There are huge indications that clubs are 6-2 anyway, so there's little point in ruffing one.

As I'm on table at trick 2, I would rather play a diamond to the king at once. Good luck to any LHO who manages to duck this.

If you don't ruff a club, you can't endplay RHO when he started with ♥Qxx and ♦Axx or longer unless he started with a doubleton club.

Your ♦K is ducked. Presumably you draw one trump and lead the ♦Q, which is also ducked to deprive you of a dummy entry. Now you cash the last trump and exit a diamond. RHO wins and plays a club.

For what it is worth, RHO could have SIX clubs and LHO Ax of clubs. The ♣Q hardly has to be from a doubleton. If ♥ were 2-2, well, this ruff allows an overruff. While if it was a honest doubleton (which opponent is more likely to have six? either can I think, but slighlty more with EAST). But the play of the QUEEN is not safe from any number of clubs LESS than six with EAST.

I think Frances' play is 100% correct. If EAST pops up with the ACE of diamonds and lead a surprising club, well, then you have to ruff with the TEN and curse your luck. But there is no need to strip clubs as when the queen shows, one of them will have only two.

[kenrexford]

Am I missing something here?

Even if LHO holds the king of spades, he is not endplayed. The OPPS win the club Ace, the diamonds Ace, and the heart Queen. If LHO has the spade King, he can lead a small spade, giving you one free finesse, but then he will win the third round of spades for the setting trick.

Even Kx fails. Now, he gives you a ruff-sluff, allowing you to dicth one spade, but you must lose one anyway.

The only conceivable endplay is a double-endplay. LHO might have six clubs, a stiff diamond Ace. Now, if you strip out the club and lead a small diamond toward the Jack, he's endplayed one time. When you later throw him in with his heart, he is endplayed a second time. Now, this works.

Small to the Jack wins if LHO is sleeping and ducks with Ax of diamonds, an added chance.

However, would you not lead the diamond Ace if it was stiff? Maybe not, but then again at trick two when seeing the spade issue? I mean, if you hold Kxx-Qxx-A-Axxxxx, and lead the Ace, and see that dummy, would you not see the double endplay problem?

Simple me. I'll assume that clubs are 6-2, six with the opening lead, and use the psychology that you don't try to give partner a ruff when you have shortness, all to give me simple mathematical odds shift to the finesse in hearts.

[inquiry]

kenrexford, on Feb 21 2007, 09:24 AM, said:

Am I missing something here?

If RHO has Qxx of hearts, and a doubleton club, and the spade king, you can endplay him. It takes soemthing like this if you misguess hearts (if hearts are 2-2, you will make, losing one in each side suit.. if west has Qxx you will go down, losing one in each suit).

The idea is to eliminate diamonds, then throw EAST in with the 3rd round of hearts. He is out of clubs, diamonds give you ruff and sluff, where one spade hook is enough, and on spade lead, it runs to dummy and then you hook king on way back. This line allows you to play for 2-2 trumps, or the endplay, but you have to deal with the diamond situation first so there is no safe diamond exit. You can afford one high TRUMP before forcing the diamond ACE out of hiding.

[FrancesHinden]

kenrexford, on Feb 21 2007, 02:24 PM, said:

Am I missing something here?

Even if LHO holds the king of spades, he is not endplayed.

We are trying to endplay RHO with Qxx hearts and the king of spades, whilst also picking up Q or Qx of hearts offside.

The argument is over i) whether playing for this - which risks assorted trump promotions and/or diamond ruffs - is better or worse than assuming LHO started with 6 clubs and taking an immediate heart finesse and ii) if you do play for this, what is the correct order of cards.

[kenrexford]

OK. Now I understand. Somehow I was reading everything backwards instead of thinking through the issue. Blinded by the King being to the left.

Now, if LHO has the diamond Ace, he might try breaking up the endplay with a spade lead, but that merely leaves Jx opposite Ax, and the endplay still works.

If RHO has the diamond Ace, they have no solution.

Good line.

[inquiry]

kenrexford, on Feb 21 2007, 10:02 AM, said:

OK.  Now I understand.  Somehow I was reading everything backwards instead of thinking through the issue.  Blinded by the King being to the left.

Now, if LHO has the diamond Ace, he might try breaking up the endplay with a spade lead, but that merely leaves Jx opposite Ax, and the endplay still works. 

If RHO has the diamond Ace, they have no solution.

Good line.

Doesn't break it.. win the JACK. Cash two hearts, cash both diamonds, throw EAST in with third heart. Same endplay works. jsut spade hook to the jack is taken before endplay rather than after it.

[sathyab]

Clubs appeared to 6-2, with the Q being a true card, yes playing the Q from QT9xxx would be a very good play causing you to misjudge the hand.

My plan was to end-play RHO whenever he has Qxx of hearts and the King of spades.

But at the table I thought if I tried to ruff a club, RHO may a discard a Diamond from xx or xxx and cause problems. You will play one round of trumps and switch to Diamonds. If RHO happens to have a doubleton Diamond LHO takes the Ace gives his partner a ruff. Now even if the ruff came at the expense of a natural trump it has destroyed your end-play for RHO exits with his third trump.

Not that I thought of all this then, but I played a Diamond to the King hoping it'd be hard for my LHO to hold-off (later that evening when were consuming alcohol, someone pointed out that playing the Q is better as it's harder to duck it, as partner may have the King). If he does hold off, I would have to pull one round of trumps, and then judge how to continue. If Diamonds appear to be 4-3 with LHO holding the Ace I can pull one more trump hoping that LHO shows out and then play Diamonds. He will of course take the appropriate Diamond honor to deny entry to dummy although it doesn't matter now if clubs are 6-2, as I can play a trump and end-play RHO.

LHO won the Diamond and played back another which I won in hand. Now I pulled trumps and was disappointed to see them splitting 2-2. RHO had KT9xx Qx 9xxx Qx.

When you can't even get a 3-1 break in trumps life really sucks.