[zenbiddist]

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4♠ South (matchpoints)

LHO leads the ♠6 and shows out on the second round of trumps.
You play a club towards dummy - LHO wins ♣A and exits a diamond.
What's your plan? What does it depend on? Pretend you're in 6♠ if that sharpens your thinking

[Mbodell]

I'm tired so I might be missing a good line, but I'd win the diamond with the A, make sure I'd pulled the 3rd round of trumps (ending in hand) and then finesse in hearts. When that holds (as I expect from the point count) I'd cash the ace, and ruff a heart. Now I'd run spades pitching the 2 low diamonds from the board. Now on the diamond K I'll play W for 4 hearts and pitch the heart if W doesn't, and then play on clubs, assuming my diamond 6 isn't good. The rough goal is to squeeze W in hearts and clubs and East in clubs and diamonds (if they have 3). But I think W can defeat this by keeping hearts and diamonds with east keeping clubs (assuming E has a club honor). Alternatively, if I play east for 4 hearts, and west for 5 diamonds, the squeeze in questions should be diamonds and clubs on west and hearts and clubs on east, but east's hearts would be over north's heart threat so I don't see how that can work.

[zenbiddist]

Mbodell, on 2015-February-05, 04:10, said:

...I'd win the diamond with the A, make sure I'd pulled the 3rd round of trumps (ending in hand) and then finesse in hearts. When that holds (as I expect from the point count) I'd cash the ace, and ruff a heart...

I started the same way then ran trumps. On the last trump, you have to pitch the heart or club threat, which means committing to your read on the layout. I like this hand because each expert I've asked has provided different clues that convinced them about where the fourth heart was, though they disagreed in equal measure. Their odds appear to favour playing for the remaining heart to be divided between the two hands.

[Fluffy]

♣10 seems to be missing. LHO with both reds seems best from the bidding.

[zenbiddist]

Fluffy, on 2015-February-05, 05:01, said:

♣10 seems to be missing. LHO with both reds seems best from the bidding.

♣T was pitched by LHO earlier, forgot to mention that.

[Fluffy]

With ♣AQJ10 he would not return a diamond I think.

[zenbiddist]

Fluffy, on 2015-February-05, 05:13, said:

With ♣AQJ10 he would not return a diamond I think.

True. But in that case, it's also possible for West to visualise ♦K in partner's hand, so he might try a low diamond.

When I showed this hand single-dummy to two squeeze lovers, they ruled out the double squeeze because the entries look a bit messed up. That only happens when the dude shifts to a diamond, so in that sense it was a cool switch:

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[gnasher]

I would be certain that East had the fourth heart. Why would he bid 2H with a 33(43) shape when he could just pass?

Quote

I'm not sure how far ahead he was thinking.

Not very far, I suspect. He could have avoided the squeeze by playing low on the first club.

[Lovera]

zenbiddist, on 2015-February-05, 04:48, said:

I started the same way then ran trumps. On the last trump, you have to pitch the heart or club threat, which means committing to your read on the layout. So who has the fourth heart?

I've given this hand to some experts and they've all provided different clues for making their choices. Why did LHO play the ♣A immediately? Why did RHO choose hearts over the redouble? If LHO has ♣QJ why did they not return a club?

Probably West pourpose is to create the problem you are talking about: there are for (double) squeeze two possible endings and hearts comunicating are the solution: the first is known how twin entry double squeeze type simultaneous or automatic with diamonds controlled by opps and required just reading for position of the unilaterals, the second that you realized managing hearts like have you said is known how RFL having also comunicant in club controlled by West, bye.

[zenbiddist]

gnasher, on 2015-February-06, 01:41, said:

I would be certain that East had the fourth heart. Why would he bid 2H with a 33(43) shape when he could just pass?

I like this thought.

gnasher, on 2015-February-06, 01:41, said:

Not very far, I suspect. He could have avoided the squeeze by playing low on the first club.

Another observation somebody made was that West is more likely to put up the ♣A staring at club length.

[zenbiddist]

Lovera, on 2015-February-09, 10:59, said:

Probably West pourpose is to create the problem you are talking about: there are for (double) squeeze two possible endings and hearts comunicating are the solution: the first is known how twin entry double squeeze type simultaneous or automatic with diamonds controlled by opps and required just reading for position of the unilaterals, the second that you realized managing hearts like have you said is known how RFL having also comunicant in club controlled by West, bye.

Do you mean West could have been attacking the entry to diamonds (the suit both opps guard) to break up a double squeeze?

[Lovera]

zenbiddist, on 2015-February-09, 11:31, said:

Do you mean West could have been attacking the entry to diamonds (the suit both opps guard) to break up a double squeeze?

Infact this scheme is an hybrid double squeeze ending : the twin entry is fragile for these two motives -orientation of unilaterals and winners in double menace suit and here in case of attack of these ones you have avalaible RFL yet.

[nige1]

zenbiddist, on 2015-February-04, 20:14, said:

4♠ South (matchpoints)
LHO leads the ♠6 and shows out on the second round of trumps.
You play a club towards dummy - LHO wins ♣A and exits a diamond.
What's your plan? What does it depend on? Pretend you're 6♠ if that sharpens your thinking

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Gnasher's inference - that RHO has 4♥ - seems right. After LHO wins ♣A and switches to a ♦, you finesse ♥Q, cash ♥A, and ruff a ♥ to reach zenbiddist's pretty ending on the left: LHO needs to have sole control of ♣s or RHO needs to have sole control of ♦s. In the diagram position, when you lead your last trump, LHO must keep ♣s, so you chuck ♣9 from dummy. Now ♣K squeezes RHO in the red suits .

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