In My Dreams

In one of the hands on my previous blog entry, I was on lead against 2NT after the opponents’ auction of 1♥-1♠; 2♦-2♥; 2NT-P.  From K62, T3, Q53, KJ765, I led the ♠K.  In my dreams, declarer is 1=5=4=3 with the stiff ♠Q and my lead is the only one to set the contract by not only pinning declarer’s ♠Q but also establishing multiple spade tricks in partner’s hand.  Well, that dream was not realized.  Although the spade lead was effective, leading the king of spades accomplished nothing that leading a small spade would not have similarly accomplished.

So, at today’s club duplicate …

I upgraded the following hand:  AT2, AKT, K3, AK863 to a 2♣ opener.  Partner responded 2♦, showing no aces and at most one king, and I made the planned rebid of 2NT.  Partner could, perhaps, have tried 4NT directly here, or maybe, just maybe, 6NT, but he chose 3♣, Puppet Stayman.  Over my 3NT, he now invited with 4NT.  Enough is enough, and I passed 4NT.

I received a passive heart lead, won in hand.  I cashed two top clubs and learned that the suit had split 2-2.  I led a small diamond from my K3 and the Q won in dummy.  I unblocked clubs from dummy, led a second heart to my hand to cash the long club.  Now I led my last heart to dummy’s two remaining heart winners.  After one diamond, four hearts, and five clubs, the lead is in dummy and everyone is down to three cards.  The (strip squeeze) end position I hope for is this:

 … or this:

Provided I can read the end position, I can make twelve tricks.  If the position is the first one, I can force South on lead with her stiff ♦A in order to lead a spade from her Kx.  If the position is the second one, I can play a spade to the ace to fell the king and cash a second spade.  Either way, I win a very satisfying twelve tricks.

Ah, but only in my dreams.  Yes, the cards were exactly as indicated: South did own both the ♦A and the ♠K.  But she had led from the ♠K at Trick 1 and I “earned” my twelfth trick that way.