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Swiss Teams, you hold
S 763
H A986
D AK64
C A9
All VUL. Sitting South, as dealer, you open 1NT (15-17)
The auction proceeds
South West North East
1NT 2S 2NT* Pass
3C Pass 3NT** Pass
Pass DBL ALL PASS
* Relay to 3 Clubs
** Game Values with a Spade Stop
West Leads the Spade King. Here is the hand
North
S AT
H QT6
D QJT43
C 874
West East
S KQJ653 S 72
H KJ9 H 732
D 5 D 762
C KQ9 C JT53
South
S 984
H A854
D AK98
C A6
You win the Spade Ace and lead a club to the Ace. You now run 5 diamonds,. West is toast. Do you see west's mistake? Would you have been good enough to avoid it?
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Strip Squeeze
#1
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Posted 2003-June-23, 10:47
Please do not complain about my opinion. I don't have the time to convince you I'm right.
#2
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- Joined: 2003-June-04
Posted 2003-June-23, 12:04
Hi lenze,
I think declarer shouldn't cash the Ace of clubs, else, after 5 rounds of diamond, in the 6 card ending, West can afford to throw 2 spades, 2 big clubs(one under Ace of clubs and one under diamond winner) and a heart, keeping the 9 of clubs. The throw-in fails because West still has 3 spades and the link in clubs for East to cash two more tricks.
Ace of clubs should be reserved for control reasons. If West throw too many clubs(ie, down to singleton club), then cash it to eliminate W's exit card then throw him in with spade. If West keeps one more club, either his spade length is squeezed or he has to give up the heart guard.
Regards
Sam
I think declarer shouldn't cash the Ace of clubs, else, after 5 rounds of diamond, in the 6 card ending, West can afford to throw 2 spades, 2 big clubs(one under Ace of clubs and one under diamond winner) and a heart, keeping the 9 of clubs. The throw-in fails because West still has 3 spades and the link in clubs for East to cash two more tricks.
Ace of clubs should be reserved for control reasons. If West throw too many clubs(ie, down to singleton club), then cash it to eliminate W's exit card then throw him in with spade. If West keeps one more club, either his spade length is squeezed or he has to give up the heart guard.
Regards
Sam
#3
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Posted 2003-June-23, 12:48
Quote
Hi lenze,
I think declarer shouldn't cash the Ace of clubs, else, after 5 rounds of diamond, in the 6 card ending, West can afford to throw 2 spades, 2 big clubs(one under Ace of clubs and one under diamond winner) and a heart, keeping the 9 of clubs. The throw-in fails because West still has 3 spades and the link in clubs for East to cash two more tricks.
Ace of clubs should be reserved for control reasons. If West throw too many clubs(ie, down to singleton club), then cash it to eliminate W's exit card then throw him in with spade. If West keeps one more club, either his spade length is squeezed or he has to give up the heart guard.
Regards
Sam
I think declarer shouldn't cash the Ace of clubs, else, after 5 rounds of diamond, in the 6 card ending, West can afford to throw 2 spades, 2 big clubs(one under Ace of clubs and one under diamond winner) and a heart, keeping the 9 of clubs. The throw-in fails because West still has 3 spades and the link in clubs for East to cash two more tricks.
Ace of clubs should be reserved for control reasons. If West throw too many clubs(ie, down to singleton club), then cash it to eliminate W's exit card then throw him in with spade. If West keeps one more club, either his spade length is squeezed or he has to give up the heart guard.
Regards
Sam
Hi Sam:
I believe it is wrong NOT to cash the Club Ace early. If you run the diamonds first, you make it easy for west to unblock in clubs. If you cash the Club ace at trick 2, he must decide now to unblock or he is dead.. NOT an easy play
Please do not complain about my opinion. I don't have the time to convince you I'm right.
#4
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Posted 2003-June-23, 13:52
Hi lenze,
I actually won't mind make unblocking life easier for opponents on this deal...you have to guess the ending anyway, and they may throw some honest cards, or, they may not :-)
If you really want to cash club Ace, an improvement is to enter hand first, play the club Ace instead of leading a club from dummy. That way, you don't give East any chance of signalling in clubs. West must play club BEFORE he can see E's card.
I actually won't mind make unblocking life easier for opponents on this deal...you have to guess the ending anyway, and they may throw some honest cards, or, they may not :-)
If you really want to cash club Ace, an improvement is to enter hand first, play the club Ace instead of leading a club from dummy. That way, you don't give East any chance of signalling in clubs. West must play club BEFORE he can see E's card.
#5
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- Location:Montana
Posted 2003-June-23, 16:00
Quote
Hi lenze,
I actually won't mind make unblocking life easier for opponents on this deal...you have to guess the ending anyway, and they may throw some honest cards, or, they may not :-)
If you really want to cash club Ace, an improvement is to enter hand first, play the club Ace instead of leading a club from dummy. That way, you don't give East any chance of signalling in clubs. West must play club BEFORE he can see E's card.
I actually won't mind make unblocking life easier for opponents on this deal...you have to guess the ending anyway, and they may throw some honest cards, or, they may not :-)
If you really want to cash club Ace, an improvement is to enter hand first, play the club Ace instead of leading a club from dummy. That way, you don't give East any chance of signalling in clubs. West must play club BEFORE he can see E's card.
What guess in the ending? Yes, west may blank the Heart King, but that should be a fairly easy read. If west does not unblock a club honor at trick 2, he has NO outs from the strip squeeze.
Please do not complain about my opinion. I don't have the time to convince you I'm right.
#6
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- Gender:Male
- Location:Amelia Island, FL
- Interests:Bridge, what else?
Posted 2003-June-23, 20:13
The original problem as stated was low club to trick two and what mistake did west make? The mistake was not unblock in clubs. Actually with running spades, the club unblock is automatic..... I mean down one is enough....
So if west, holding
S KQJ653
H KJ9
D 5
C KQ9
The club unblock is clear, and this is what West did wrong... the point of the original problem.
Now the new problem, as posed by Sam is how should South play the contract? Sam's solution is to run diamonds and not allow West the chance to be a hero. Sam's absolutely right. After winning Spade ACE and cashing 5 diamonds.... west to come to 6 cards...
His problem is he is squeezed in three suits. Sure you may have to guess as declarer, but at least you control your own destiny. There is no carding West can do to save himself you figure it out.
Ben
So if west, holding
S KQJ653
H KJ9
D 5
C KQ9
The club unblock is clear, and this is what West did wrong... the point of the original problem.
Now the new problem, as posed by Sam is how should South play the contract? Sam's solution is to run diamonds and not allow West the chance to be a hero. Sam's absolutely right. After winning Spade ACE and cashing 5 diamonds.... west to come to 6 cards...
His problem is he is squeezed in three suits. Sure you may have to guess as declarer, but at least you control your own destiny. There is no carding West can do to save himself you figure it out.
Ben
--Ben--
#7
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- Joined: 2003-March-31
- Location:Montana
Posted 2003-June-24, 09:43
Quote
The original problem as stated was low club to trick two and what mistake did west make? The mistake was not unblock in clubs. Actually with running spades, the club unblock is automatic..... I mean down one is enough....
So if west, holding
S KQJ653
H KJ9
D 5
C KQ9
The club unblock is clear, and this is what West did wrong... the point of the original problem.
Now the new problem, as posed by Sam is how should South play the contract? Sam's solution is to run diamonds and not allow West the chance to be a hero. Sam's absolutely right. After winning Spade ACE and cashing 5 diamonds.... west to come to 6 cards...
His problem is he is squeezed in three suits. Sure you may have to guess as declarer, but at least you control your own destiny. There is no carding West can do to save himself you figure it out.
Ben
So if west, holding
S KQJ653
H KJ9
D 5
C KQ9
The club unblock is clear, and this is what West did wrong... the point of the original problem.
Now the new problem, as posed by Sam is how should South play the contract? Sam's solution is to run diamonds and not allow West the chance to be a hero. Sam's absolutely right. After winning Spade ACE and cashing 5 diamonds.... west to come to 6 cards...
His problem is he is squeezed in three suits. Sure you may have to guess as declarer, but at least you control your own destiny. There is no carding West can do to save himself you figure it out.
Ben
Ben: On this line of play, West is not squeezed in 3 suits. His 4 discards are Club Q, Heart 9, and two spades. When south leads a club to the Ace, west unblocks the king. NO ENDPLAY. You must make the club play early before west has a chance to figure it out. Winning spade Ace and running 5 diamonds only brings west down to 7 cards, not 6.
Please do not complain about my opinion. I don't have the time to convince you I'm right.
#8
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- Interests:Bridge, what else?
Posted 2003-June-24, 10:41
Quote
Quote
Ben: On this line of play, West is not squeezed in 3 suits. His 4 discards are Club Q, Heart 9, and two spades. When south leads a club to the Ace, west unblocks the king. NO ENDPLAY. You must make the club play early before west has a chance to figure it out. Winning spade Ace and running 5 diamonds only brings west down to 7 cards, not 6.
Sorry, my math is wrong..... (i am old and growing a little forgetful 13-6=7 I will stamp it on my forehead).... but the bridge logic is sound... lets take our winners, pitching a diamond, shall we..... with WEST still to play to the last trick....
S-T
H-QTx
D- out
C-876
S-98
H-Axx
D-out
C-Ax
What last (yes) 7 cards does west keep? If five spades, he is toasted, becasue he either has thrown all his clubs away to keep two hearts, or has thrown his hearts away (oh boy), or has one heart and one club (and we can pickup the heart king).
So, ok, he has tossed a spade in here somewhere.... so he has 4S, but now, does he still have 2H's? Then your strip squeeze works. Cash the club, throw in with spade.
So does he have 1H and 2 clubs? Cash the club, drop the heart king.
Ok, so he keeps only 3 spades, keeping 2 clubs (unblocking first club), and 2 hearts. Now you just give a heart... by leading low to the ace and low back out...
Double dummy, if you run the diamonds WEST can not hold the position, but if you play a club at trick two, west can jettison a top club and always beat you. I think that is what Sam was trying to say, and of course, he was right. It does not detract from the original question, which was really a defensive problem, about what did WEST do wrong at trick two when a low club was lead from dummy to the Ace.
Ben
--Ben--
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