07-27-2016, 07:12 PM
S AKQQJ
H AKJJTT
D KJJ
C KQQJTT
S AATT +-------+ S AKKQJTT
H KKQQQT | N | H AJJT
D AKKKJ | W E | D AAQTTT
C AKKQT | S | C JJT
+-------+
S KQJJ
H AAKQ
D AQQQJT
C AAAKQJ
[Auction "N"]
50 52 Pass 56
57 58 - Pass
59 60 - -
So South becomes declarer after starting with a meld bid.
[Play "S"]
HA HQ HT HJ
HA HQ HT HJ
CQ CK CT CJ // North's in
SA SJ SK ST
HA HT HK HQ
DJ DA DQ DK // This is WRONG. East should duck all the way, in case South is sandbagging in diamonds.
A BIG reason to duck the low diamond is, South could be sandbagging in spades or diamonds...but diamonds is much more likely. Playing the diamond ace guarantees that we get no useful information; playing the queen may force South to win, or possibly compromise his holding because of the strength of East's cards. (Even if South plays a king and West wins with an ace, East can finish the check in diamonds by leading or playing a 10.)
At this point, the hand looks like this:
S KQQJ
H KJJ
D KJ
C KQQJT
S AAT +-------+ S AKKQTT
H KKT | N | H A
D AKKJ | W E | D AQTTT
C AKQT | S | C JT
+-------+
S QJJ
H Q
D AQQQT
C AAAKJ
HA HQ HK HJ
OOOPS. I don't like this play at all. It's a 4th ace...no rush to cash it. It's keeping the suit controlled; playing it (even if it cashes) may set up the suit for declarer...or possibly *dummy*, if the dummy has trump length. Declarer didn't promise long trump, remember.
CJ CA CQ CK
And this finishes things off. South's hand is still fairly well concealed, the timing's been thrown off, the strong diamond holding has weakened itself.
DA DJ DK DQ // South figures, OK, go for ruffs now; North had no diamond help.
DQ DK DJ DT
DT DQ DA CQ
Uhhh...South sandbagged in diamonds, and now cashed. South is going for *ruffs* at this point, so LEAD TRUMP AGAIN. East gave dummy a ruff. That's a blown trick that won't come back very often.
SQ SK SJ ST
HK HJ CT CA // West is going...ummm...what to do? East was desperate for a heart ruff before, right?
DT DK CQ DT // and now N/S have a crossruff all set up
HK SK CK HT
DJ CT CJ DA // and South finishes it off by forcing West to ruff a loser
CA CT ST CJ
CK SK SQ CA
SJ SA SJ ST
SA SQ SA SQ
N/S pull 31. Granted, E/W had no meld to save, but still, that doesn't make things much better.
If East DUCKS the diamond at trick 6, then the play likely proceeds
South wins diamond ace, exits with a low diamond to K and East's 10.
Now East can play a club to South.
South plays a 3rd diamond; West wins.
West doesn't worry about the hearts now; he can focus on trump. Club ace, then low club.
The position is now:
S KQQJ
H KJJ
D
C QT
S AAT +-------+ S AKKTT
H KKT | N | H A
D KK | W E | D AAT
C T | S | C
+-------+
S QJJ
H Q
D QQT
C AK
South can get 1 diamond ruff from North...but that's it. If North exits with a spade, East can duck; West leads his last trump. East will win 2 diamond tricks. If North exits with a heart, East wins perforce...South *can't* ruff. East crosses in spades, West plays his last trump.
East's diamond ace at trick 6 wasn't horrible so much as somewhat reflexive...and worrying, perhaps, about North's ruffs. It's the trick-7 heart ace that, IMO, is clearly wrong; it doesn't stand to gain. AND, it does stand to lose with poor tempo, and by confusing West.
H AKJJTT
D KJJ
C KQQJTT
S AATT +-------+ S AKKQJTT
H KKQQQT | N | H AJJT
D AKKKJ | W E | D AAQTTT
C AKKQT | S | C JJT
+-------+
S KQJJ
H AAKQ
D AQQQJT
C AAAKQJ
[Auction "N"]
50 52 Pass 56
57 58 - Pass
59 60 - -
So South becomes declarer after starting with a meld bid.
[Play "S"]
HA HQ HT HJ
HA HQ HT HJ
CQ CK CT CJ // North's in
SA SJ SK ST
HA HT HK HQ
DJ DA DQ DK // This is WRONG. East should duck all the way, in case South is sandbagging in diamonds.
A BIG reason to duck the low diamond is, South could be sandbagging in spades or diamonds...but diamonds is much more likely. Playing the diamond ace guarantees that we get no useful information; playing the queen may force South to win, or possibly compromise his holding because of the strength of East's cards. (Even if South plays a king and West wins with an ace, East can finish the check in diamonds by leading or playing a 10.)
At this point, the hand looks like this:
S KQQJ
H KJJ
D KJ
C KQQJT
S AAT +-------+ S AKKQTT
H KKT | N | H A
D AKKJ | W E | D AQTTT
C AKQT | S | C JT
+-------+
S QJJ
H Q
D AQQQT
C AAAKJ
HA HQ HK HJ
OOOPS. I don't like this play at all. It's a 4th ace...no rush to cash it. It's keeping the suit controlled; playing it (even if it cashes) may set up the suit for declarer...or possibly *dummy*, if the dummy has trump length. Declarer didn't promise long trump, remember.
CJ CA CQ CK
And this finishes things off. South's hand is still fairly well concealed, the timing's been thrown off, the strong diamond holding has weakened itself.
DA DJ DK DQ // South figures, OK, go for ruffs now; North had no diamond help.
DQ DK DJ DT
DT DQ DA CQ
Uhhh...South sandbagged in diamonds, and now cashed. South is going for *ruffs* at this point, so LEAD TRUMP AGAIN. East gave dummy a ruff. That's a blown trick that won't come back very often.
SQ SK SJ ST
HK HJ CT CA // West is going...ummm...what to do? East was desperate for a heart ruff before, right?
DT DK CQ DT // and now N/S have a crossruff all set up
HK SK CK HT
DJ CT CJ DA // and South finishes it off by forcing West to ruff a loser
CA CT ST CJ
CK SK SQ CA
SJ SA SJ ST
SA SQ SA SQ
N/S pull 31. Granted, E/W had no meld to save, but still, that doesn't make things much better.
If East DUCKS the diamond at trick 6, then the play likely proceeds
South wins diamond ace, exits with a low diamond to K and East's 10.
Now East can play a club to South.
South plays a 3rd diamond; West wins.
West doesn't worry about the hearts now; he can focus on trump. Club ace, then low club.
The position is now:
S KQQJ
H KJJ
D
C QT
S AAT +-------+ S AKKTT
H KKT | N | H A
D KK | W E | D AAT
C T | S | C
+-------+
S QJJ
H Q
D QQT
C AK
South can get 1 diamond ruff from North...but that's it. If North exits with a spade, East can duck; West leads his last trump. East will win 2 diamond tricks. If North exits with a heart, East wins perforce...South *can't* ruff. East crosses in spades, West plays his last trump.
East's diamond ace at trick 6 wasn't horrible so much as somewhat reflexive...and worrying, perhaps, about North's ruffs. It's the trick-7 heart ace that, IMO, is clearly wrong; it doesn't stand to gain. AND, it does stand to lose with poor tempo, and by confusing West.