A defensive problem

[flytoox]

Red all, sitting at south, you hold:

 

S: Q

H: TXX

D: AK9XXXX

C: XX

 

auction goes

 

W N E S

1H 2H X 3D

3H P 4H P

P X ALL PASS

 

PD leads a small diamond. Dummy hand is:

 

S: KJTXX

H: KQ

D: QJ8X

C: XX

 

Question 1: Which card do you play, A or K? Is it important? (both declarer and pd has singleton diamond)

 

Question 2: which card do you return? And why?

[Gpm_bg]

my answers are :

Q1: I would cover with A, becouse it will show ♠ desire probably if declarer ruff directly.

Q2: Depends of carding i'll back higher ♣ if std and lower if udca, if partner has AK(or Q) i'll make third T♥ promotion at following cases:

- AJxxxxx and no A♠ he/she should ruff with honour

- i still have chance to ruff twice if he don't have J♥ for partner ruff in ♦ 4th-5th round

 

maybe my desire for the cards is funny,:), but i think that the cards are not everytime definitely staying in worse variant

[HeartA]

I will win with DK and return SQ.

[inquiry]

This is a despirate hand. When partner michaels, we tentatively play him for 5-2-1-5. Partner will have the spade ACE and and some club honors. We know partner is at least 5-5 in the black suits with one diamond. That gives him two or more likely one heart. Why one heart? Lets turn our attention to the 4♥ bidder. What the heck did he bid 4♥ on? Ace JACK sixth of hearts of hearts at worse, two low spades, a singleton diamond. So this is...

 

xx

AJxxxx

x

????

 

Given the leap to game, AKJx would be required. In fact, I think he has seven hearts and only three clubs... something like AKJ (or AKx). This gives partner 5-1-1-6.

 

Can you beat him if he is 2-7-1-3? Try one defense. Win ♦King, lead spade queen, ruff a spade. Now on diamond back. Declearer ruffs high, pulls two trumps ending in dummy, and enjoys the top spade for one or two (if need) club discards. That is no good.

 

How about a trump back? He wins the King, cashes two clubs, ruffs a club, ruffs a diamond, pulls trumps, and eventually gives us two spades. Not good enough either. A club back? Same line by transposition.

 

How about a low diamond back? If partner has the heart JACK, now you are on to something, and maybe even if he has the nine. Declarer ruffs high (jack). Cashes one heart. Two clubs, ruffs a club. Now he has to decide how to enter his hand. If he leads a big diamond, at matchpoints you could duck and he could pitch a spade loser or ruff. He makes either way. If he pitches a spade, you willl score 1S, 1D, 1H. If he ruffs. You will be thrown in with a heart and eventually he will lead a spade up the the KING.

 

So if he is 2-7-1-3 you are not beating this. That means you ahve to play declarer for 2-6-1-4, and partner having at least the nine of hearts. The defense that starts with a spade ruff runs into the same problem, setting up the spades. So forget about that and that forgo your spade ruff. Show declarer your AK of diamonds by winning the KING. Declearer will surely play your partner for the SPADE AQ, club QUEEN, so you will likely score your spade queen and his spade ace.

 

To prevent two club ruffs in dummy, return a trump. Without a trump return, declearer can ruff two clubs, win 5H, 2C and lead a spade up to the king. So stopping the second club ruff is essential. Dummy wins. If he tries AK club, club ruff, and diamond, play low. If partner has nine of hearts, he has to ruff with the JACK which promotes your TEN. You are now on track to win 2S (if he misguesses the queen as we anticapte, especially after we show the AK of diamonds). And if he tries anytihing cute is spades, you can ruff in with the TEN and try to promote your partners highest heart.