Defence

[Finch]

You are North, dummy is East[hv=d=w&v=n&n=s10742hk103da6542ca&e=sakq6h9862dj107cq4]266|200|Scoring: XIMP

3♣ P P P[/hv]

 

You lead the 3 of hearts against West's 3C contract which goes to partner's Ace.

Partner returns the 9 of diamonds and declarer plays the Queen.

 

Plan the defence.

[1eyedjack]

Not sure if there is a guaranteed solution:

 

Partner appears to have singleton or doubleton Diamond headed by the 9. It is possible that declarer has a 4 card diamond side suit, on the bidding, if perhaps unlikely.

 

If declarer is 1-2-3-7 shape or 2-1-3-7 shape then prospects are bleak. If we win the Diamond Ace and successfully cash Heart before continuing Diamonds, declarer can cash Spades discarding Diamonds to deny us the ruff. If we duck the Diamond Ace or win and continue Diamonds without cashing Heart, then Spade discards take care of Heart loser (if any) else Diamond winner again denying ruff.

 

Being IMP scoring we proceed on the assumption that declarer has a layout that allows the defence to prevail.

 

If declarer is 0-3-3-7 shape then ducking the Diamond Ace is indicated, to prevent a Diamond entry to the Spades for Heart discards. Alternatively winning and cashing Hearts might work (although ducking the Diamond would work as well).

 

If declarer is 1-1-4-7 shape then winning the Diamond Ace and continuing with a LOW diamond (for Club entry) is indicated. If partner attempts to get you in with Heart for the necessary second ruff, declarer will ruff and discard Diamonds on Spades before touching trumps.

 

Which is more likely between 0-3-3-7 or 1-1-4-7? Not much to choose between them. However if declarer were 0-3-3-7 then partner might have continued Hearts to defeat the contract easily. So I would assume 1-1-4-7.

 

 

Nice problem. Whether I got it right or not. For all that it is apparently a B/I problem I would probably get fined for slow play at the table.

[Walddk]

As no B/I player has contributed yet, please allow me to offer a little help. Partner's ♦9 is likely from 9x when declarer followed with the 8, although a singleton is possible if he falsecarded from KQ8x.

 

If you duck, you know that you can give partner a ruff soon because you will get in with ♣A. But is soon also soon enough? Is it perhaps dangerous to let declarer get access to dummy?

 

Take it from there. Enough for now.

 

Hmmm, I thought I saw the 8 from declarer earlier today. Did Frances change it or am I totally out of my mind??

 

Roland

[Finch]

Hmmm, I thought I saw the 8 from declarer earlier today. Did Frances change it or am I totally out of my mind??

She changed it. We thought it was too easy when declarer played the 8 and he should have played the Queen.

 

[i'd thought you'd gone by the time this board came up]

[hatchett]

I'll start off by assuming declarer has 7 ♣s and no 4 card major.

 

If declarer has a doubleton ♦ partner's 9 suggests it is KQ doubleton.

His possible shapes are 2227, 3127 or 1327. The correct defence against these shapes is to win and attempt to cash as many hearts as possible since the 2227 shape can discard 1 heart loser and 1327 shape two hearts loser on the spades if we duck.

 

If declarer has a trebleton diamond then his possible shapes are 0337, 1237 or 2137. This time it doesn't matter if we duck the diamond or attempt to cash as many hearts as possible; 2 more against 0337 followed by a diamond and partner gets his ruff (ducking is neutral against this shape). One more against 1237 (our defence is neutral against this shape whether we duck or win, we swap a diamond ruff for a heart trick) and none against 2137 (but again our defence is neutral since if we duck declarer simply disacards the third dimond on the spades)

 

If declarer has 4 diamonds then his possible shapes are 0247 and 1147; then against 0247 I can attempt to cash hearts and even if I can't read partner's count signal on the ♥K, partner still gets a diamond ruff to beat the contract, against 1147 I must return a diamond to beat the contract. Since 1147 is only one shape but winning diamond Ace and returning a heart is superior against 2227 and 1327 that is what I will do.

 

I'm not sure tht declarer's line is wrong, from his prospective the only chance of making the contract is that, however unlikely is that RHO has underled the diamond A.

 

If it get time I will take a look to see if it makes a difference if declarer may only has 6 clubs.

[PedroG]

Hi All,

 

Well not time to think much about it :(

 

At the table I would think K♥ shaky, if I let opp's get in they will discard all in ♠, so better hope p singleton ♦ and can use is trumps...

 

Win A♦ lead ♦, get the lead again on A♣, and another ♦ to the last trump of partner.

 

If this fail hope that the K♥ is still any good that I doubt :D so if it fail defense fails :)

 

Pedro

[y66]

 

Duck.

 

If declarer has

 

1) x, xxx, KQx, KJxxxx, ducking loses.

 

2) x, xx, KQx, KJxxxxx, it doesn’t matter what we do -- we can’t set 3C.

 

3) ---, Qxx, KQx, KJxxxxx, ducking 1st round is necessary. Then DA then give pard a diamond ruff.

 

4) ---, xxx, KQx, KJxxxxx, we set them 1 if we go up with the DA and cash hearts and we set them 2 if we duck 1 round and continue as in (3).

 

Declarer can have a 6-card club suit. But I think a 7-card suit is more likely. So, I’m playing him for hand 3 or 4 and ducking the DQ.