From Champaign--Updated

I'm back from a quick trek to Champaign for the regional there--we had a fun squad but unfortunately never quite got things rolling. Here was one interesting declarer play problem:
T9
ATxx
A7xx
AKx

K8x
Kx
QJ8x
Q9xx
The bidding is a bit different because of the system you are playing--the north hand deals and east-west pass throughout after the initial overcall.
1C*-(1S)-1NT**-2C***-2D****-3NT
*15-20 pts any shape
**9-11 balanced
***Stayman
****No major
West leads a standard deuce of spades and East plays the Jack. You duck and when East continues with the Queen, your King holds, West following. What now?

Nine tricks could be there with a diamond finesse and a 3-3 club split or a miracle in diamonds, but from the carding it looks like the spades are 5-3. The opps can't cash more than 4 immediate tricks if that is the case, so the best line is to give up the 3rd spade now, cutting the defense's communication. You will make when West has King-third of diamonds because he'll be squeezed if East cashes out the suit (if not, clubs were 3-3 all along) and you can set up dummy's 4th diamond otherwise. The other two hands were:
xxx----AQJxx
QTx---Jxxx
KTx---9x
Jxxx---Tx

AKQ--A Bad Holding?

How bad can a holding of AKQ in a suit be? My dad and I do at least one Bridge World Challenge the Champs set each time I'm home...since it was Mother's Day this weekend, we got another opportunity to shine this afternoon. We play Precision with a 14-16 Notrump. Two problems:

1) Jxxxx xxx Ax AKQ
Partner opens 1D (11-16, could be short if 11-13 balanced). You respond 1 Spade and partner bids 4 Clubs (a club void and spade support). What do you bid?

2) Ax Ax KT9xxx Axx
What is your opening bid? You can choose from 1 Club (strong), 1 Diamond (explained above), and 1 Notrump (14-16).

2 From Lake Geneva--Updated

Two weekends ago my college friend and bridge partner Jason Rosenfeld came into town from Boston for a weekend of bridge playing. We went out to the regional in Lake Geneva for Saturday and Sunday--here are a couple of problems.

game all

AT98xxx

void

xxx

Qxx

RHO opens a weak 2 Hearts in first postion. What's your approach with this hand?


Sorry for the late follow-up. I think I made a mistake when I posted the defensive problem--I have to confirm with Howard--hopefully I will have more on that later. I am interested to discuss the bidding problem though. I felt uncomfortable overcalling on the first round thinking it was too much of a distortion. I also felt very uncomfortable keeping silent. I decided to apply Jonathan's approach, hoping my partner would read me for this kind of hand. So I passed and LHO bid 2NT. Jason passed and RHO bid 3 Diamonds, alerted and desribed as a "medium hand." Undeterred, I entered with 3 Spades. My LHO thought briefly and doubled, which ended the auction. Jason's hand was a fantastic Qx AKTxx x KJTxx and I was pretty much cold. Plus 730 went well with our teammates' +200 against 4Sx at the other table (my opposite number overcalled 2 Spades). In retrospect I like the way I handled this one--of course the result didn't have to be this great, but I think it gave us a decent shot at figuring out what was going on in this tough auction.

And a defensive problem from my friend Howard Liu in one of the other Saturday knockout matches:

xxxx

K543

x

Txxx

------xxx

------A87

------Txxx

------AJx

The auction, with your side passing throughout, is: 1H on your left-3H preemptive-4H

Partner leads a 3rd-5th deuce of diamonds to your ten and declarer's queen. Declarer plays a heart to the king...your move.