I Heart Moysians

Last night was a comedy of errors all-around. It started with a -670 on the first board and didn't get much better the rest of the session. Emory and I each faced some tough defensive and bidding situations and guessed wrong almost every time but it's this declarer play problem that upset me the most. I found myself in 3SX after RHO opened 1H and lho hit 3S.

7xx
KQx
xx
AJ9xx

AKT9
x
Kxxxx
Q8x

The defense started with the HA lead, D to the A, DQ covered and ruffed. I Rabbi'ed on the club shift and now I should be home free. LHO is marked with 1-4 in the minors so could have 5 spades 3 hearts or 4 of each. With 4-4, he probably would not have doubled. However, if that's how the suits are splitting, there's an easy path to make - draw 2 rounds if trumps, then try to run clubs taking the marked finesse for the T.

But if LHO started with 5 spades (more likely given the budding), I need to draw only 1 round of trumps, then take 3 rounds of clubs and two hearts. LHO will have to follow to all the clubs and hearts so in the 3 card ending, I will have KT9 of spades in hand and lho will have QJx. Therefore, if I play a spade to my 9, he will be endlayed to lead into my KT tenace at trick 12. I wound up going down 1 by playing for lho to be 4-4-1-4 and rho 2-5-5-1. Not a smart plan given the double.