Spade Heart  Diamond Club
Lyneham Bridge Club
Minor suit end-play?

- 1NT is 12-14 and 2♦ is a transfer to Hearts.

- South doubles to show the values for a penalty double of the 1NT.

- West passes to deny 3-4 card Heart suit.

- West leads K♥ and East plays the 2♥ (count signal showing odd number).  

What is it reasonable to assume?

- The lead of the K♥ may be from KQ or Kx.

- Spades are 3-0.

- Hearts are 5-2.

- East has 2-4 HCP and at least one Heart honour.

- West has the A♣.

You have 9 top tricks, how do you play for the 10th?  

 

There is a remote chance they give you a Club ruff and diamond discard, but the answer seems to be somehow make the J♦ or K♣.

- West has the A♣ so you can only make the K♣ if West is end-played to lead into your K2♣.

- There are 2 possibilities to make the J♦, a successful finesse (it will lose if this is your line!) or end-play West to lead into your KJ♦ tenace.

The solution seems to be end-play West in the Minors; but how?

Problems:

- If you attempt to end-play West with Q♥ then East will have it and return a Club.  West having the Q♦.

- If you attempt to cash AK♦ and end-play West with the Q♦ then East will have it and return a Club.

 

Solution:

Duck the K♥ lead.  West must play a heart or a Spade or concede the contract.  You win the continuation, play A♥ (if hearts not continued) and draw trumps ending in dummy.

Duck a Club.  East wins (if West wins, end-played).

Possible outcomes.

- East plays a Diamond, win and exit with K♣, West is end-played and must lead into diamond tenance or concede a Club ruff and discard.

- East plays a Club, West end-played as above.

- East plays a Heart.  If it is a low heart then discard the K♣ and run it to the 10♥ then try for the overtrick with the diamond finesse.  If an Honour is led then ruff and, if the 10♥ is not promoted, end play West with K♣ as above.  Otherwise, cross to dummy with a low Spade and discard K♣ on 10♥ then try for the overtrick with the diamond finesse.

 
This site is built with BridgeWebs, the easy web solution.