Defense Problem

[Apollo81]

♠ 5

♥ AJ753

♦ Q64

♣ KJ54

 

4th seat, unfavorable, MPs

 

(1♠)-p-(p)-2♥

(2♠)-3NT-(p)-p

(4♠)-Dbl-(all pass)

 

lead: ♥4

 

dummy plays ♥2:

 

♠ 962

♥ QT62

♦ 982

♣ T92

[bid_em_up]

First of all, lets discuss the bidding. 2♥? In balance? This hand is much better suited for a reopening X. You do not know if partner has made a trap pass or not, and you can stand whatever suit your partner bids.

 

 

Now to address the original question.

 

What card I play at trick one, and what I lead next is dependent on what type of lead/count signals I am using, so I cant really tell you what I will do at this point.

[hatchett]

Did dummy have a ♥ hidden amongst its clubs?

[cherdano]

I assume we are play 3/5 leads? In that case, I think partner has 3 hearts, I don't think a hand that passes 1S can bid 3N with a singleton in partner's suit. Dummy has no tricks, so I play back a passive spade.

[SoTired]

A balancing dbl on 1534 is better, but 2H is no crime.

 

Partner led lowest heart either from ♥Kxx or singleton. Partner is strong to bid 3N when all we did was balance. Partner bid 3N rather than 4H, so more likely singleton heart. There is no rush to grab minor suit tricks. Dummy has no ruffing power, so no rush to draw trump. The ONLY play that could gain tricks is if partner has a singleton heart and can get an extra ruffing trick. We probably need to get partner 2 ruffs to gain a trick because partner probably has something like ♠AJx. In any case, even if partner has ♥Kxx, taking the ♥A and returning a heart will not hurt us. Since our best chance for an entry is clubs, return the lowest heart.

 

♥A and return ♥3.

[willow23]

I win the A♥ and lead a ♠ back...

 

Gotta get those ♠ out ...opps cannot get to dummy ...

 

P ..should lead a ♥ every time he gets in for the forcing defense...so Nice contract to be in...:)

[temp3600]

Partner seems to have two spades. With three hearts, he would have a good shape for a takeout double of 1S. Can he hold a good 2=3=4=4 hand that for some reason did not double for takeout? No, the hand would have to be pretty strong for the 3NT bid, and so an clear takeout double of 1S.

 

I think partner has a 2=1=5=5 hand with poor minor suits. Something like AQ x KJxxx AQxxx. If he has AQ in spades, what we play matters little. However, if he only has AJ, giving declarer KQTxxxx K98 Ax x, we need to give him a ruff and immediately after knock out the ace of diamonds.

 

I take the ace and return the H7.

[Codo]

Pd must have two spade stoppers for his 3 NT call. As he can have at most 2 Spades (Declarer must have a 7 card suit if he bids this way...mustn´t he?), he should have AK or AQ.

He has enough HCPs for 3 NT but no hand for a take out double or a 1 NT bid.

 

Maybe he has a BIG fit in hearts and hoped for 5 Hearts, 2 Spades and something in a minor in 3 NT? But even then his bidding is funny.

 

I believe, that pd has to attack minors after he wins the lead in trump and may be in a position where it is difficult to do so, so I better play a minor card to make it easier for him. I tryx a diamond, because this seems to be his longest suit.

[Apollo81]

Partner's hand was:

 

♠AJx

♥K9x

♦AJTx

♣876

 

I think the ♥J is the best play on trick 1. Even if pard has a singleton there (unlikely) then this may not cost depending on pard's trump holding. Declarer probably doesn't have a stiff ♥K, for that would mean pard led the ♥4 from ♥984 (wouldn't most lead the ♥9?) There are certainly cases (pard has ♠AQx x and didn't overcall clubs because of poor suit quality) where it is right to give the ruff.

 

Partner could have made this easier by leading the ♥K from this hand, no? The ♥J is the best play anyway I think.

[zimzam]

if I played my reg. pd. ♥2 promise Kxx so I play J♥ and switch ♠5

pd probably has his spadetrick(s) originale. play like this to let this declearer try to make up his own mess ;)