Bridge in Oz

Matchpoints, nobody vulnerable, you are declaring 4♠ after partner's reluctant single raise of your 1♠ opening.

♠ 843
♥ K1053
♦ 985
♣ K54

♠ AKJ52
♥ --
♦ AK432
♣ A63

The ♥4 is led; 3, J. What's your plan?

I think many players would take an early spade finesse.

However it doesn't take much thought to see that's a very bad idea. If it loses you will have at best 10 tricks, and if a heart is continued you might lose control of the hand. And if it wins you have gained nothing because when you draw the last trump you won't have one left in dummy to ruff a club loser.

If the spades and diamonds split normally then you can always take 11 tricks by giving up a diamond, then drawing two rounds of trumps and running diamonds. One of your diamonds will be ruffed but you'll have a trump in dummy for the last club.

If spades or diamonds are 4-1 then things get more complicated and you'll likely be down.

Thanks Rod, a delicate hand. Re your mention of the need to ruff a club loser, mention perhaps needs to be made that this is AFTER discarding one of dummy's clubs on a long diamond (once these have been - hopefully - established).

Yes very true, it's necessary to throw a club on a long diamond before getting the club ruff. Thanks.