A neat little counter-intuitive play

[kenrexford]

2♠-P-2NT-P-3♥(GHBS)-P-4♠

 

Partner leads heart King.

 

[hv=d=s&n=sk2ha83d10542cak86&e=s93h952dakj76c952]266|200|Scoring: MP[/hv]

 

Declarer wins the heart King on dummy, playing the heart Jack from his hand. He now plays spade King (won), spade to the Jack (lost to partner's Queen). You have no idea what your trump pips mean, or partner has no idea what your heart pips mean. Whatever.

 

So, partner now plays the heart Queen. Your plan?

[pclayton]

So I'm supposed to drop the 9 (setting declarer's 8 when declarer has JT dub) as a wakeup for pard to shift a diamond which he should do anyway?

 

This seems a little dangerous when declarer has 6223 which seems rather likely. Is AJxxxx JT Qx Jxx a 'good' hand?

[kenrexford]

So I'm supposed to drop the 9 (setting declarer's 8 when declarer has JT dub) as a wakeup for pard to shift a diamond which he should do anyway?

 

This seems a little dangerous when declarer has 6223 which seems rather likely. Is AJxxxx JT Qx Jxx a 'good' hand?

I think you almost nailed it. That aint a "good hand" by most folks' account. So, make the obvious switch more obvious.

 

Here's why. Give partner 93 in diamonds. Won't he be concerned about Declarer holding AJ8x in diamonds, with a small doubleton club? A diamond switch is fatal. However, a club switch (if you retain the 9) or a heart continuation might lead to a mis-guess. Declarer could cross to the club (or win it) and lead the diamond 10, covered by your hypothetical King (from KQxx). Declarer would win and cross back to dummy to have a nasty guess in diamonds.

 

So, a diamond switch is not all that obvious, actually.

[pclayton]

So I'm supposed to drop the 9 (setting declarer's 8 when declarer has JT dub) as a wakeup for pard to shift a diamond which he should do anyway?

 

This seems a little dangerous when declarer has 6223 which seems rather likely. Is AJxxxx JT Qx Jxx a 'good' hand?

I think you almost nailed it. That aint a "good hand" by most folks' account. So, make the obvious switch more obvious.

 

Here's why. Give partner 93 in diamonds. Won't he be concerned about Declarer holding AJ8x in diamonds, with a small doubleton club? A diamond switch is fatal. However, a club switch (if you retain the 9) or a heart continuation might lead to a mis-guess. Declarer could cross to the club (or win it) and lead the diamond 10, covered by your hypothetical King (from KQxx). Declarer would win and cross back to dummy to have a nasty guess in diamonds.

 

So, a diamond switch is not all that obvious, actually.

If declarer has AJxxxx JT AJ8x x, he just opened a 1 bid with a 2 bid. After the ♥ wins, the defense can exit a trump and let declarer do his own dirty work.

 

I love creative defensive when it keeps pard on his toes. The other day, I 'won' a trick with the K (holding KQT9) sitting over declarer with dummy holding 3 small because we were never taking another trick in the suit and I needed pard to shift later.

 

I don't think the position is at all clear, but we probably don't need the shift to the diamond anyway. It is counterintuitive to set up a winner, and if it turned out this was necessary, I'd be interested in the whole hand.