[hrothgar]

https://www.bridgeba...S7%7Cpc%7CCJ%7C

[Cyberyeti]

Not convinced by the line of play, you'd feel stupid if W had a stiff diamond honour or E had QJ tight. The opening lead is massively unfortunate, I think anything else is better

[AL78]

Cyberyeti, on 2020-April-18, 15:59, said:

Not convinced by the line of play, you'd feel stupid if W had a stiff diamond honour or E had QJ tight. The opening lead is massively unfortunate, I think anything else is better

If East holds QJxx(xx) playing a diamond to the ten twice gains a trick, as long as you don't cash a top honor first. The robot decided to play for a 3-3 break by playing the ten first. That seems to me to be an inferior line looking at that suit in isolation, as playing to the ten works if the diamonds break 3-3, and if there is QJ to any number onside. Even playing for a 3-3 break, why not cash one top honor first, which as you say, gains when a stiff honor comes down from West, and if an honor comes down from East, play up to the ten and hope the second honor from East shows, if not play the ten and go for the 3-3 break.

Looking at all four hands, it is difficult to put the defensive cards in a better place for declarer (3-3 breaks in all 7-card fits, and squeeze possibilities once a trick is lost), so even an inferior line will bring the contract in.

[nige1]

Perhaps GIB should play ♦s from the top, (catering for doubleton QJ, or quack nine); but GIB did well to find the black-suit automatic squeeze.

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[shyams]

nige1, on 2020-April-19, 12:19, said:

Perhaps GIB should play ♦s from the top, (catering for doubleton QJ, or quack nine); but GIB did well to find the black-suit automatic squeeze.

I suspect this is from one of the challenges played by hrothgar i.e. he found the line to effect the squeeze not GIB.

[shyams]

I actually like the line played by hrothgar. I have never seen the bot play the ♠Q from ♠QJx(x) so it is a near-certainty that the Spade Jack is with East. So the best chance is a 3-3 diamond split followed by a squeeze.

The only slight improvement of odds is (I think) to play off the top two diamonds as nige1 mentioned. You don't really mind going down a couple extra undertricks at IMPs if one defender held ♦QJxx.