Not So Easy

This deal was played in the 2023 Grand National Team final in Chicago:

K98 J83 106 QJ1097

AQ73 AKQ10752 A2 --

At one table South opened 2 and after his hearts were raised he just blasted to 6. How should declarer play on a diamond lead?

This looks easy, right? In fact, on a good day you'll make 7. Draw trump and if they are 2-1 and spades come in for 4 tricks, you throw a diamond from dummy and ruff a diamond for 13 tricks.

Not so fast. When you win the A and lay down a high heart, East shows out! Now what?

Should you play on spades? Draw trump first? Something else?

This was the Real Deal:

Vul:E-W Dlr: South	K98 J83 106 QJ1097
-- 964 J9743 A8532		J106542 -- KQ85 K64
	AQ73 AKQ10752 A2 --

If declarer plays on spades, West ruffs and cashes a diamond for down one. If he draws trump first, he'll go down (even if he draws trump ending in dummy he wouldn't run the 8 on the first round). He'd lose a spade and a diamond.

The correct line is to use dummy's clubs. After the shock of the 3-0 hearts (2-1 would have allowed a claim), play a heart and finesse (marked) dummy's 8--an important entry. Now lead the Q for a double-ruffing finesse. If East plays low, discard the diamond. Win any return and cross to the J for another high club. That second ruffing-finesse (planning again to throw a diamond) will set up the clubs for a spade discard. If East covers the first club, ruff high and cross to the J. Lead another high club, throwing the diamond. This plan fails only if West started with both the ace and king of clubs--and with that holding he surely would have led one.     

In real life, West didn't find the diamond lead. He led the A and declarer quickly made 7 (draw trumps ending in dummy and lead the J).

At the other table, West did find the diamond lead. Did declarer take the double-ruffing club finesse? No. East had opened 2. So declarer won the A and drew trump ending in dummy. He advanced the 8 and was able to take 4 spade tricks. East actually played the 10 and declarer won the ace and played to the queen and took the marked finesse. Had East played low, declarer would have run the 8. Declarer at this table also could have tried the double-ruffing club finesse. West wouldn't have led a diamond with AK. So, it was either that "sure" thing or the other "sure" thing of knowing the spade layout.

Note how important the 8 and 7 were in the play.