[SimonFa]

MPs. Pick up partner and only defensive discussion is reverse attitude on lead, standard count and opening lead of K asks for count. R Vs W if it matters.

LHO deals, I was West. I can't remember the exact bidding but it went something like:

(P) 1D (P) 1H
(1S) 2D (3S) P
(P) X all pass

Partner leads A♥

Dummy plays LOW

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Which card do you play and why?

3♠X is -2 on best defence and poor declarer play, -1 otherwise and 5D makes, but nobody bid it. Sadly we let 3S make for a bottom and were probably both to blame for the defence but I just wondered what you would do here?

Thanks in advance,

Simon

EDIT Changes in BOLD. Thanks Paulg

Spoiler

In this situation with regular partner my carding is telling partner my preferred suit so I played 2H which partner took as encouragement. By the time we got back in we missed the play as partner had ♣KQ.

Partner reckoned I should have played high to discourage, would 7 be high enough?

[paulg]

Despite the fact that the bidding is a little strange, this is a good problem and could be made into an even better one by making dummy weaker.

With dummy holding ♦AK I would signal attitude for hearts on this hand. If dummy did not have the ace of diamonds then there is a stronger case for the carding to be suit preference.

[inquiry]

So we are west, east leads the ♥ Ace and declarer ditched the ♥King under the ♥Ace setting your ♥queen up? That doesn't seem right, since partner has at most 3♥'s, and less than that if you are playing support doubles. Are you sure he ditched the ♥K? I will assume he did not play the ♥King for this discussion, and that you DO play support doubles.

It seems likely declarer didn't open a weak two in spades because his hand was not strong enough for a weak two (or he is one of those guys who will not open 2♠ when holding a four card heart suit, in which case partner has a singleton ♥A. I am not ready to accept with as weak as his hand has to be, he is bidding a five card suit to the KT here.

For the bidding, west surely has at six spades and 3+♥ (no support double or raise by partner). We can see 24 hcp between dummy and our hand, and partner has at least 11 and probably for the aggressive bidding 13. So that doesn't leave much for opener. If partner has 13, all declarer can have is 3 hcp (must be the ♠King it seems from the bidding) and partner has AJ doubleton of hearts. If partner is lighter, say 12 hcp, we can give north a random jack, probably the jack of hearts.

Partner surely has at least 6♦, and given he freely rebid them missing the AKJT, and seven diamonds is not out of the question. Partner rates to have something like 2-1-7-3, or 2-2-7-2, or 2-2-6-3 with the last one the most likely, for surely north will have six spades for his bid here with a 3 or 4 point hand.

So declarer rates to be 6-4-0-3 or 6-3-1-2. If north is 6403, you need a club shift now (i still have heart king in dummy). IF he has 6=3=1=2 you are not setting it (I left the king of hearts in dummy). You will win 2♣, 1♥, 1♠.. the third heart goes on the diamond (cashing two clubs first will not help, as declarer can throw a ♥ on the diamond, and ruff third heart with the ♠K and do a dummy reversal (3♠ in dummy, 1♥, 2♦, 2♥ ruffs, 1♣ ruff). So the hands pretty much have to be, north
♠KTxxxx ♥Jxxx ♦void ♣xxx.

Anyway, the question was signal. Simply signal dislike hearts. Partner will not switch to a diamond, so all will be well. Partner with three clubs will play KQ of clubs. Partner with four clubs will play king of clubs followed by low club. He will not have five clubs.

[Fluffy]

Attitude applies on this position, so you can encourage or discourage hearts. There is no suit preference.

There are 2 possible defences, encourage a heart and try to promote a trick there (declarer will discard hi third heart on diamonds but when we get with ♠A we can play one throuh), or set up club tricks.

Don't see the rush for the club tricks so I would just encourage hearts. Hopefully partner can give a suit preference signal on the second diamond trick after he sees that declarer discards and no other signal makes sense.





I would had bid 4♦, probably before partner doubled. I feel very uncomfortable letting the opponents play doubled at a level below the number of my total trumps.

[lowerline]

I don't understand why South didn't double for takeout on the 1♦ opening? I also fail to see why a heart continuation gives away the contract... With a heart continuation you make ♥A, ♥Q, ♠A and 2 club tricks and I consider a second spade trick likely (for down 2). It is possible you need to underlead your ace of clubs at some point, but given the bidding that should not be so hard to find.

Steven

[phil_20686]

This looks like one of those awful problems where partner has KQ tight of clubs and you need to discourage so that partner will cash his KQ, and then get him to play a spade through so partner can discard his heart on the club ace and get a heart ruff. 3262 looks prettylikely atm, and partner needs at least the club K, so it should be safe to discourage.

I would say the layout is almost 100% on the bidding to be something like

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although north could have a sixth spade, and partner one more club, or one more diamond. Also, declarer could have the club Q probably. Even then, if partner has Kx club, its probably right to give him a club ruff before you get a heart through, in case he has txx spades and a low spade to the Q and A and a heart through may give declarer a guess.