[lesh]

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Q♠ lead.

[rhm]

lesh, on 2013-December-06, 02:53, said:

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Q♠ lead.

Tricky hand.

I would not guard against a 6-1 spade break, which will not work anyway if East has three trumps.
West probably has all relevant honors. This means you start with 3 losers and you must try to keep control of the hand.
Finesses in clubs and hearts here look futile and are losing options, but chances must be good that the ♣K will drop in two or three rounds.
Accordingly try to find out more about the club distribution and duck a club at trick 2 (key play).
Use the aces in hand to ruff a third club and to play a diamond towards dummy.
If a club or spade comes back win and ruff a club next to find out whether the king drops.
If a trump comes back, win the ♥A and play first a diamond towards dummy and come back to the ♣A to ruff a club.
If West goes in with the ♦A and can draw three rounds of trumps, West must have king third in trumps and the ♣K should drop in three rounds.
If the ♣K drops in three rounds, start drawing trumps after you played first one round of diamonds towards dummy.
If neither the ♣K drops in three rounds nor the ♥K on the ♥A, West should be 5♠=2♥=2♦=4♣ and you can duck a diamond towards the bare ace.
If a spade is returned you can cash the second diamond honor in dummy since West can only ruff with the ♥K.
Ruff the fourth club with the ♥J and finesse towards the ♥9.

Rainer Herrmann

[billw55]

North doubled 1♠? Odd. But you might reach the same spot starting with 1♠-p-p-x.

As for the play, I can't add anything to Rainer's analysis.

[dake50]

North doubled 1♠? Odd. But you might reach the same spot starting with 1♠-p-p-x.

*** How can he handle likely developments?? With a 13!!!???

As for the play, I can't add anything to Rainer's analysis. -- billw55

*** Well done, Rainer

[gnasher]

rhm, on 2013-December-06, 04:27, said:

duck a club at trick 2 ...
If a trump comes back, win the ♥A and play first a diamond towards dummy and come back to the ♣A to ruff a club.
If West goes in with the ♦A and can draw three rounds of trumps, West must have king third in trumps and the ♣K should drop in three rounds.

Or, to be precise, it will drop in three rounds after you have cashed two more diamonds, which will trump squeeze West if he was 5=3=1=4.

[lesh]

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