Defence problem from last night at Banbury

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Message

Dave Flower

Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 7:56 am

Guest

Actually I was declarer on this hand, but I wonder if it is easy to
find the winning defence:

Match-points, dealer East, vul-none

E S W N
1C 4S dble all pass

-
J 6 4
K 8 5 3 2
Q 9 7 4 3
6
A 10 8 5
A 9 6
A K 10 6 5

Partner leads C2, to 3, K , S2
Declarer cashes SA, SK, partner followinf low, and dummy discarding D2,
C3, you C5
Declarer now plays DQ to D4 D2...

Plan the defence

Dave Flower

Frances

Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 5:00 pm

Guest

Dave Flower wrote:

Quote:

Without thinking too hard about this, partner has either a singleton
diamond or 3 of them. If he has 3 of them it's obviously right to duck
this diamond. If he's got one of them it might cost fo duck but
probably won't. So I duck.

> Dave Flower

Rob Morris

Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 5:41 pm

Guest

Dave Flower wrote:

Quote:

E S W N
1C 4S dble all pass

-
J 6 4
K 8 5 3 2
Q 9 7 4 3
6
A 10 8 5
A 9 6
A K 10 6 5

This layout hurts my brain. When you are third hand on the opening
lead, dummy is on your right (unless you're playing anticlockwise).
-
J 6 4
K 8 5 3 2
Q 9 7 4 3
6
A 10 8 5
A 9 6
A K 10 6 5

Also, it's helpful to have west on the left in auctions:
W N E S
1C 4S
X AP

--
Rob Morris: arr emm four four five (at) cam dot ac dot uk
http://www.poorbridge.com
New Poor Bridge of the Week every Monday!

Lorne

Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 6:55 pm

Guest

"Dave Flower" <DavJFlower@AOL.COM> wrote in message
news:1160120404.940447.214000@e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...

Quote:

I am going to duck - I do not want the diamond K to be an entry for a heart
to Kx. Even if we miss a diamond ruff I am not sure it will cost if we keep
declarer out of dummy given partner should have natural trump tricks without
ruffing anything.

Dave Flower

Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 1:18 am

Guest

On Oct 6, 5:35 pm, "Tim DeLaney" <delaney.timo...@comcast.net> wrote:

Quote:

Dave Flower wrote:
Actually I was declarer on this hand, but I wonder if it is easy to
find the winning defence:

Match-points, dealer East, vul-none

E S W N
1C 4S dble all pass

-
J 6 4
K 8 5 3 2
Q 9 7 4 3
6
A 10 8 5
A 9 6
A K 10 6 5

Partner leads C2, to 3, K , S2
Declarer cashes SA, SK, partner followinf low, and dummy discarding D2,
C3, you C5
Declarer now plays DQ to D4 D2...

Plan the defence

Dave FlowerAssuming standard carding, declarer surely has 2 diamonds. (If he has
4, then it won't matter what I do.) His most likely shape is 8=3=2=0.
7=4=2=0 and 9=2=2=0 just don't fit the auction..

It must be right to duck, to keep declarer off dummy in case he has:
AKxxxxxx Q9x Qx --

Tim

Doesn't work. Declarer play a diamond to the K - you win, and play a
third diamond.

Declarer ruffs, and plays a heart to the jack - you musy win, and play
CA.

Declarer ruffs, and exits on a trump. Partner can cash their trump
tricks, but must now either lead a heart from the king, or a club to
the queen

Dave Flower

Tim DeLaney

Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 3:08 am

Guest

Dave Flower wrote:

Quote:

On Oct 6, 5:35?pm, "Tim DeLaney" <delaney.timo...@comcast.net> wrote:
Dave Flower wrote:
Actually I was declarer on this hand, but I wonder if it is easy to
find the winning defence:

Match-points, dealer East, vul-none

E ? ? ? ? ?S ? ? ? ? ? ? W ? ? ? ? ?N
1C ? ? ? 4S ? ? ? ?dble ? ? ? ? all pass

? ? ? -
? ? ? J 6 4
? ? ? K 8 5 3 2
? ? ? Q 9 7 4 3
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 6
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? A 10 8 5
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? A 9 6
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? A K 10 6 5

Partner leads C2, to 3, K , S2
Declarer cashes SA, SK, partner followinf low, and dummy discarding D2,
C3, you C5
Declarer now plays DQ to D4 D2...

Plan the defence

Dave FlowerAssuming standard carding, declarer surely has 2 diamonds. (If he has
4, then it won't matter what I do.) His most likely shape is 8=3=2=0.
7=4=2=0 and 9=2=2=0 just don't fit the auction..

It must be right to duck, to keep declarer off dummy in case he has:
AKxxxxxx ?Q9x ?Qx ?--

Tim

Doesn't work. Declarer play a diamond to the K - you win, and play a
third diamond.

Declarer ruffs, and plays a heart to the jack - you musy win, and play
CA.

Declarer ruffs, and exits on a trump. Partner can cash their trump
tricks, but must now either lead a heart from the king, or a club to
the queen

Dave Flower

Right you are. But I don't see a 8=3=2=0 hand for declarer that I can
defend against, and no other shape seems plausible. I guess I should
have put in the CT at trick one, or pard should have led the CJ.

Tim

Mark Brader

Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 5:39 am

Guest

Dave Flower:

Quote:

E S W N
1C 4S dble all pass

-
J 6 4
K 8 5 3 2
Q 9 7 4 3
6
A 10 8 5
A 9 6
A K 10 6 5

Rob Morris:

Quote:

This layout hurts my brain.

Yeah. I hate having to work out whether I'm looking at West and South
or North and East, even if it is simple in this case.

Quote:

When you are third hand on the opening lead, dummy is on your right
(unless you're playing anticlockwise).

-
J 6 4
K 8 5 3 2
Q 9 7 4 3
6
A 10 8 5
A 9 6
A K 10 6 5

On "you" as South vs. declarer as South, I think I can live with either.
(I do want declarer to be South if there isn't a "you", though.) But
if you're going to rotate the hand, you need to rotate everything!
It's now South who opened 1C, not East as in this part:

Quote:

Also, it's helpful to have west on the left in auctions:
W N E S
1C 4S
...

--
Mark Brader | No programming language is Perfect. Perl comes very close.
msb@vex.net | P! e! r! *l?* Sad

Not quite "Perfect".
Toronto | -- Brian Ingerson

pgmer6809

Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 5:53 am

Guest

Dave Flower wrote:

Quote:

If pard has two trump tricks and I have taken the d-A and the h-A
doesn't that defeat 4S?
-----

In fact in case declarer is 8-4-1-0 and pard has had a lapse in his
carding on the Diamond suit, can it cost to take the d-Q with the d-A,
cash the h-A and lead another heart to pard's hoped for K or Q? Decl
can only get one pitch on the d-K so even if he is
AKxxxxxx Kxxx x - we still get a second heart for down two.
If he has Qx in diamonds and Qxx or Kxx in hearts we still get a
second heart trick.

So what am I missing?

Dave Flower

Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 8:11 pm

Guest

On Oct 6, 11:53 pm, "pgmer6809" <pgmer6...@yahoo.com> wrote:

Quote:

Dave Flower wrote:
On Oct 6, 5:35?pm, "Tim DeLaney" <delaney.timo...@comcast.net> wrote:
Dave Flower wrote:
Actually I was declarer on this hand, but I wonder if it is easy to
find the winning defence:

Match-points, dealer East, vul-none

E ? ? ? ? ?S ? ? ? ? ? ? W ? ? ? ? ?N
1C ? ? ? 4S ? ? ? ?dble ? ? ? ? all pass

? ? ? -
? ? ? J 6 4
? ? ? K 8 5 3 2
? ? ? Q 9 7 4 3
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 6
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? A 10 8 5
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? A 9 6
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? A K 10 6 5

Partner leads C2, to 3, K , S2
Declarer cashes SA, SK, partner followinf low, and dummy discarding D2,
C3, you C5
Declarer now plays DQ to D4 D2...

Plan the defence

Dave FlowerAssuming standard carding, declarer surely has 2 diamonds. (If he has
4, then it won't matter what I do.) His most likely shape is 8=3=2=0.
7=4=2=0 and 9=2=2=0 just don't fit the auction..

It must be right to duck, to keep declarer off dummy in case he has:
AKxxxxxx ?Q9x ?Qx ?--

Tim

Doesn't work. Declarer play a diamond to the K - you win, and play a
third diamond.

Declarer ruffs, and plays a heart to the jack - you musy win, and play
CA.

Declarer ruffs, and exits on a trump. Partner can cash their trump
tricks, but must now either lead a heart from the king, or a club to
the queen

Dave FlowerI note you said pard has trump trickS plural.
If pard has two trump tricks and I have taken the d-A and the h-A
doesn't that defeat 4S?
-----

In fact in case declarer is 8-4-1-0 and pard has had a lapse in his
carding on the Diamond suit, can it cost to take the d-Q with the d-A,
cash the h-A and lead another heart to pard's hoped for K or Q? Decl
can only get one pitch on the d-K so even if he is
AKxxxxxx Kxxx x - we still get a second heart for down two.
If he has Qx in diamonds and Qxx or Kxx in hearts we still get a
second heart trick.

So what am I missing?

I referred to trump tricks in the hypothesised declarer's hand.

What you are missing is that down ome may not bring in many
match-points.

Dave Flower

Dave Flower

Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 8:14 pm

Guest

On Oct 6, 9:08 pm, "Tim DeLaney" <delaney.timo...@comcast.net> wrote:

Quote:

Dave Flower wrote:
On Oct 6, 5:35?pm, "Tim DeLaney" <delaney.timo...@comcast.net> wrote:
Dave Flower wrote:
Actually I was declarer on this hand, but I wonder if it is easy to
find the winning defence:

Match-points, dealer East, vul-none

E ? ? ? ? ?S ? ? ? ? ? ? W ? ? ? ? ?N
1C ? ? ? 4S ? ? ? ?dble ? ? ? ? all pass

? ? ? -
? ? ? J 6 4
? ? ? K 8 5 3 2
? ? ? Q 9 7 4 3
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 6
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? A 10 8 5
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? A 9 6
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? A K 10 6 5

Partner leads C2, to 3, K , S2
Declarer cashes SA, SK, partner followinf low, and dummy discarding D2,
C3, you C5
Declarer now plays DQ to D4 D2...

Plan the defence

Dave FlowerAssuming standard carding, declarer surely has 2 diamonds. (If he has
4, then it won't matter what I do.) His most likely shape is 8=3=2=0.
7=4=2=0 and 9=2=2=0 just don't fit the auction..

It must be right to duck, to keep declarer off dummy in case he has:
AKxxxxxx ?Q9x ?Qx ?--

Tim

Doesn't work. Declarer play a diamond to the K - you win, and play a
third diamond.

Declarer ruffs, and plays a heart to the jack - you musy win, and play
CA.

Declarer ruffs, and exits on a trump. Partner can cash their trump
tricks, but must now either lead a heart from the king, or a club to
the queen

Dave FlowerRight you are. But I don't see a 8=3=2=0 hand for declarer that I can
defend against, and no other shape seems plausible. I guess I should
have put in the CT at trick one, or pard should have led the CJ.

Tim

Yes there is an 8320 hand that requires exact defence.

Maybe partner should have led CJ, but 2 from J 8 2 is not unreasonable.
If you put in the 10 at trick 1, partner will turn out to have led a
singleton 2.

Dave Flower

Guest

Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 9:32 pm

Dave Flower wrote:

Quote:

Well if you take the first diamond, declarer can win the second diamond
in dummy and finesse the nine of hearts. So ducking the first diamond
or taking the first diamond still allows declarer to make a heart trick
when he has H Q9x.

Eric Leong

Tim DeLaney

Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 11:45 pm

Guest

Dave Flower wrote:

Quote:

On Oct 6, 9:08?pm, "Tim DeLaney" <delaney.timo...@comcast.net> wrote:
Dave Flower wrote:
On Oct 6, 5:35?pm, "Tim DeLaney" <delaney.timo...@comcast.net> wrote:
Dave Flower wrote:
Actually I was declarer on this hand, but I wonder if it is easy to
find the winning defence:

Match-points, dealer East, vul-none

E ? ? ? ? ?S ? ? ? ? ? ? W ? ? ? ? ?N
1C ? ? ? 4S ? ? ? ?dble ? ? ? ? all pass

? ? ? -
? ? ? J 6 4
? ? ? K 8 5 3 2
? ? ? Q 9 7 4 3
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 6
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? A 10 8 5
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? A 9 6
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? A K 10 6 5

Partner leads C2, to 3, K , S2
Declarer cashes SA, SK, partner followinf low, and dummy discarding D2,
C3, you C5
Declarer now plays DQ to D4 D2...

Plan the defence

Dave FlowerAssuming standard carding, declarer surely has 2 diamonds. (If he has
4, then it won't matter what I do.) His most likely shape is 8=3=2=0.
7=4=2=0 and 9=2=2=0 just don't fit the auction..

It must be right to duck, to keep declarer off dummy in case he has:
AKxxxxxx ?Q9x ?Qx ?--

Tim

Doesn't work. Declarer play a diamond to the K - you win, and play a
third diamond.

Declarer ruffs, and plays a heart to the jack - you musy win, and play
CA.

Declarer ruffs, and exits on a trump. Partner can cash their trump
tricks, but must now either lead a heart from the king, or a club to
the queen

Dave FlowerRight you are. ?But I don't see a 8=3=2=0 hand for declarer that I can
defend against, and no other shape seems plausible. ?I guess I should
have put in the CT at trick one, or pard should have led the CJ.

Tim

Yes there is an 8320 hand that requires exact defence.

South has AKJTxxxx Q9x QJ ---

Declarer should have continued spades, after which he escapes for down
one. But South thought, for whatever reason, that trumps could wait
and carelessly played the DQ. Now, East can insure down two by winning
the DA and playing a diamond back.

South's best try is to overtake in dummy with the DK and lead a heart
to the 9, but West counters by ducking! Now, on getting in with the SQ,
West plays HK, heart to the ace, and a fourth round to score the S9.

Quote:

Maybe partner should have led CJ, but 2 from J 8 2 is not unreasonable.
If you put in the 10 at trick 1, partner will turn out to have led a
singleton 2.

All true, but East erred at trick one by winning the CK. It must be
better to win the CA, giving East the later option of leading a low
club with a straight face, if that seems necessary. (The CA can never
fool partner.)

Quote:

Dave Flower

Tim

Charles Brenner

Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 5:53 pm

Guest

Rob Morris wrote:

Quote:

Dave Flower wrote:
E S W N
1C 4S dble all pass

-
J 6 4
K 8 5 3 2
Q 9 7 4 3
6
A 10 8 5
A 9 6
A K 10 6 5

This layout hurts my brain. When you are third hand on the opening
lead, dummy is on your right (unless you're playing anticlockwise).

I agree that it's past time to comment about these ambiguous layouts.
In this case what bothers me is that I can't tell from the layout if
the shown hands are North+East, or South+West. A solution is to
indicate of the center of the table, viz:

Quote:

J 6 4
K 8 5 3 2
Q 9 7 4 3
6
= = A 10 8 5
= = A 9 6
A K 10 6 5

Charles

Charles Brenner

Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 6:02 pm

Guest

Dave Flower wrote:

Quote:

Declarer has either Qx or QJ. If the latter then another diamond play
may force me to break hearts -- maybe declarer has KQ9x. So I win and
return one.

I don't particularly mind a heart play from dummy. Certainly I'm not
worried that declarer is 9spades - Kx - Qx - void.

Charles

Tim DeLaney

Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 9:57 pm

Guest

Charles Brenner wrote:

Quote:

Dave Flower wrote:
Actually I was declarer on this hand, but I wonder if it is easy to
find the winning defence:

Match-points, dealer East, vul-none

E S W N
1C 4S dble all pass

-
J 6 4
K 8 5 3 2
Q 9 7 4 3
6
A 10 8 5
A 9 6
A K 10 6 5

Partner leads C2, to 3, K , S2
Declarer cashes SA, SK, partner followinf low, and dummy discarding D2,
C3, you C5
Declarer now plays DQ to D4 D2...

Plan the defence

Declarer has either Qx or QJ. If the latter then another diamond play
may force me to break hearts -- maybe declarer has KQ9x. So I win and
return one.

Could declarer have AKxxxxx KQ9x Qx -- on the auction? That's pretty
hefty for a preempt.

Even if he did, how does winning the DA and returning a diamond help?
Couldn't he win the DK and play a heart to the 9?

Tim

Quote:

I don't particularly mind a heart play from dummy. Certainly I'm not
worried that declarer is 9spades - Kx - Qx - void.

Charles

Charles Brenner

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 1:46 am

Guest

Tim DeLaney wrote:

Quote:

Charles Brenner wrote:
Dave Flower wrote:
Actually I was declarer on this hand, but I wonder if it is easy to
find the winning defence:

Match-points, dealer East, vul-none

E S W N
1C 4S dble all pass

-
J 6 4
K 8 5 3 2
Q 9 7 4 3
6
A 10 8 5
A 9 6
A K 10 6 5

Partner leads C2, to 3, K , S2
Declarer cashes SA, SK, partner followinf low, and dummy discarding D2,
C3, you C5
Declarer now plays DQ to D4 D2...

Plan the defence

Declarer has either Qx or QJ. If the latter then another diamond play
may force me to break hearts -- maybe declarer has KQ9x. So I win and
return one.

Could declarer have AKxxxxx KQ9x Qx -- on the auction? That's pretty
hefty for a preempt.

Ok, remove one of the heart honors. The larger point is that there is
no particular cost in allowing an immediate dummy entry and severing
the opponents communications looks helpful.

Quote:

Even if he did, how does winning the DA and returning a diamond help?
Couldn't he win the DK and play a heart to the 9?

Would he?

Charles

Dave Flower

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 10:44 pm

Guest

On Oct 8, 12:02 pm, "Charles Brenner" <cbren...@berkeley.edu> wrote:

Quote:

Yes that's it, the full hand was:

Quote:

-
J 6 4
K 8 5 3 2
Q 9 7 4 3
Q J 5 4 6

K 9 3 A 10 8 5
10 7 4 A 9 6
J 8 2 A K 10 6 5
A K 10 9 8 7 3 2
Q 7 2
Q J
-
After a club to the K, ruffed, two top spades, and DQ, the only defence
for three down is to win the DA immediately and return a diamond. The
only distribution against which this loses is declarer holding HKx,
DQx, which assumes partner's double was on:
Q x x
Q x x
J x x
J x x
which seems hardly likely.

In fact, RHO won an immediate diamond and switched to a heart. I
wondered if the winning defence was easy to find - judging by the
postings on this thread, it was not!

Dave Flower

Quote:

Plan the defenceDeclarer has either Qx or QJ. If the latter then another diamond play
may force me to break hearts -- maybe declarer has KQ9x. So I win and
return one.

I don't particularly mind a heart play from dummy. Certainly I'm not
worried that declarer is 9spades - Kx - Qx - void.

Charles- Hide quoted text -- Show quoted text -

Dave Flower

Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 7:47 am

Guest

On Oct 10, 6:22 am, "pgmer6809" <pgmer6...@yahoo.com> wrote:

Quote:

Dave Flower wrote:
On Oct 6, 11:53?pm, "pgmer6809" <pgmer6...@yahoo.com> wrote:
Dave Flower wrote:
On Oct 6, 5:35?pm, "Tim DeLaney" <delaney.timo...@comcast.net> wrote:
Dave Flower wrote:
Actually I was declarer on this hand, but I wonder if it is easy to
find the winning defence:

Match-points, dealer East, vul-none

E ? ? ? ? ?S ? ? ? ? ? ? W ? ? ? ? ?N
1C ? ? ? 4S ? ? ? ?dble ? ? ? ? all pass

? ? ? -
? ? ? J 6 4
? ? ? K 8 5 3 2
? ? ? Q 9 7 4 3
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 6
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? A 10 8 5
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? A 9 6
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? A K 10 6 5

Partner leads C2, to 3, K , S2
Declarer cashes SA, SK, partner followinf low, and dummy discarding D2,
C3, you C5
Declarer now plays DQ to D4 D2...

Plan the defence

Dave FlowerAssuming standard carding, declarer surely has 2 diamonds. (If he has
4, then it won't matter what I do.) His most likely shape is 8=3=2=0.
7=4=2=0 and 9=2=2=0 just don't fit the auction..

It must be right to duck, to keep declarer off dummy in case he has:
AKxxxxxx ?Q9x ?Qx ?--

Tim

Doesn't work. Declarer play a diamond to the K - you win, and play a
third diamond.

Declarer ruffs, and plays a heart to the jack - you musy win, and play
CA.

Declarer ruffs, and exits on a trump. Partner can cash their trump
tricks, but must now either lead a heart from the king, or a club to
the queen

Dave FlowerI note you said pard has trump trickS plural.
If pard has two trump tricks and I have taken the d-A and the h-A
doesn't that defeat 4S?
-----

In fact in case declarer is 8-4-1-0 and pard has had a lapse in his
carding on the Diamond suit, can it cost to take the d-Q with the d-A,
cash the h-A and ?lead another heart to pard's hoped for K or Q? ?Decl
can only get one pitch on the d-K so even if he is
AKxxxxxx Kxxx x - we still get a second heart for down two.
If he has Qx in diamonds ?and Qxx or Kxx in hearts we still get a
second heart trick.

So what am I missing?

I referred to trump tricks in the hypothesised declarer's hand.

What you are missing is that down ome may not bring in many
match-points.

Dave FlowerHmmm..
It looks to me like my naive line, leads with a minimum of fuss to
taking a diamond, a heart, pard's trump tricks, and maybe a second
heart from pard, if he has Qxx or Kxx.
Are you saying that there is a viable line whereby we could take THREE
heart tricks assuming Declarer has Qxx? I think as you have
demonstrated that this not possible because at some point the defenders
are endplayed.

No, I demonstrated that declarer can always make eight tricks if his
hearts are Q 9 x, as declarer can play a heart towards dummy.

With Q x x, this is not possible.

Dave Flower

pgmer6809

Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 7:47 am

Guest

Dave Flower wrote:

Quote:

On Oct 6, 11:53?pm, "pgmer6809" <pgmer6...@yahoo.com> wrote:
Dave Flower wrote:
On Oct 6, 5:35?pm, "Tim DeLaney" <delaney.timo...@comcast.net> wrote:
Dave Flower wrote:
Actually I was declarer on this hand, but I wonder if it is easy to
find the winning defence:

Match-points, dealer East, vul-none

E ? ? ? ? ?S ? ? ? ? ? ? W ? ? ? ? ?N
1C ? ? ? 4S ? ? ? ?dble ? ? ? ? all pass

? ? ? -
? ? ? J 6 4
? ? ? K 8 5 3 2
? ? ? Q 9 7 4 3
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 6
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? A 10 8 5
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? A 9 6
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? A K 10 6 5

Partner leads C2, to 3, K , S2
Declarer cashes SA, SK, partner followinf low, and dummy discarding D2,
C3, you C5
Declarer now plays DQ to D4 D2...

Plan the defence

Dave FlowerAssuming standard carding, declarer surely has 2 diamonds. (If he has
4, then it won't matter what I do.) His most likely shape is 8=3=2=0.
7=4=2=0 and 9=2=2=0 just don't fit the auction..

It must be right to duck, to keep declarer off dummy in case he has:
AKxxxxxx ?Q9x ?Qx ?--

Tim

Doesn't work. Declarer play a diamond to the K - you win, and play a
third diamond.

Declarer ruffs, and plays a heart to the jack - you musy win, and play
CA.

Declarer ruffs, and exits on a trump. Partner can cash their trump
tricks, but must now either lead a heart from the king, or a club to
the queen

Dave FlowerI note you said pard has trump trickS plural.
If pard has two trump tricks and I have taken the d-A and the h-A
doesn't that defeat 4S?
-----

In fact in case declarer is 8-4-1-0 and pard has had a lapse in his
carding on the Diamond suit, can it cost to take the d-Q with the d-A,
cash the h-A and ?lead another heart to pard's hoped for K or Q? ?Decl
can only get one pitch on the d-K so even if he is
AKxxxxxx Kxxx x - we still get a second heart for down two.
If he has Qx in diamonds ?and Qxx or Kxx in hearts we still get a
second heart trick.

So what am I missing?

I referred to trump tricks in the hypothesised declarer's hand.

What you are missing is that down ome may not bring in many
match-points.

Dave Flower

Hmmm..
It looks to me like my naive line, leads with a minimum of fuss to
taking a diamond, a heart, pard's trump tricks, and maybe a second
heart from pard, if he has Qxx or Kxx.
Are you saying that there is a viable line whereby we could take THREE
heart tricks assuming Declarer has Qxx? I think as you have
demonstrated that this not possible because at some point the defenders
are endplayed.

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