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Defend 3N


pclayton

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This is a hand Han and Ira Chorush defended the other night. I think it's most interesting from Han's side.

 

[hv=d=e&w=s964hk42daqj64c86&s=sat82hqt98d973cj3]266|200|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

RHO (East) opens a 13-15 NT. LHO inquires with Stayman and RHO bids 2, 2N - 3N. You don't ask, but apparently 2N does not promise a 4 card major.

 

You play UDCA and standard leads.

 

You lead the 10, 2, Ace, 3. Pard thinks for some time (and hopefully you are thinking as well) and....

 

tables the K.

 

Plan the defense.

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If pard had Kx or Kxx we need a switch, and if pard had KQx or KQxx we need a continuation. If pard had KJx we need a continuation unless he has the Q also. If pard has KJ tight we need to play the 2 regardless of what the signal means.

 

Given the above I would play low, encouraging.

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If pard had Kx or Kxx we need a switch, and if pard had KQx or KQxx we need a continuation. If pard had KJx we need a continuation unless he has the Q also. If pard has KJ tight we need to play the 2 regardless of what the signal means.

 

Given the above I would play low, encouraging.

Declarer can't have a four card major.

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If pard had Kx or Kxx we need a switch, and if pard had KQx or KQxx we need a continuation.  If pard had KJx we need a continuation unless he has the Q also.  If pard has KJ tight we need to play the 2 regardless of what the signal means.

 

Given the above I would play low, encouraging.

Declarer can't have a four card major.

Oops, forgot the auction. In that case discourage. Pard will definitely switch with Kxx and will probably continue anyway in all of the other cases since he knows youve got four to an honor in spades.

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Situations like this make me wish I played coded 9 and T leads. Then partner would know that I hold the Q and would continue hearts if that defense was right, making it unambiguous that partner holds strong spades (and no K), and that I should encourage.

 

Oh wait, I forgot, coded 9s and Ts are a terrible convention! :)

 

It seems like partner will probably read me for the A no matter what here. Perhaps it is better to discourage to tell partner "hey I actually lead from a good heart suit." Partner will figure that if my hearts are good, it makes little sense for declarer to duck the spade, and probably read me for A + good hearts. He also knows my approximate spade length based on declarer's stayman response (if he has three spades, he won't think I have Axx).

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I assume that declarer plays a small card on the spade.

 

If partner has SKQ, once his king holds he will continue them regardless of what I do. He can't have KJxx, because he couldn't afford to switch to the king from that holding, in case I had A10x. He can't have Kxxx because declarer would have played an honour.

 

If he has both SKJx and CQ (declarer having accepted on a 13-count), I don't care which major he plays.

 

So, the relevant holdings are:

 

(a) SKJx, no club queen (declarer has 15 Miltons) - I want him to continue spades.

 

(b) SKxx with the club queen (declarer has 14) - I want him to switch back to hearts.

 

I can't see a good solution to this. If I encourage and he has SKxx, he will definitely continue spades - from his point of view I might have SAJxx and H1098x.

 

If I discourage and he has SKJx, I don't think he can work out to continue spades anyway. He'll know that I have SA and HQ, but that still leaves room for CQ, so he'll probably just do what he's told and hope declarer takes a club finesse.

 

I think I'd encourage, which works when declarer has a clear-cut acceptance of the invitation.

 

By the way, has anyone noticed how much harder the defence would have been after 1NT-2NT-3NT? Partner probably wouldn't even have got as far as switching to SK. This isn't much of an advertisement for including balanced invitations in Stayman.

 

[edited to get rid of unwanted smiley]

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(a) SKJx, no club queen (declarer has 15 Miltons) - I want him to continue spades.

 

(:) SKxx with the club queen (declarer has 14) - I want him to switch back to hearts.

 

I can't see a good solution to this.

[snip]

 

I think I'd encourage, which works when declarer has a clear-cut acceptance of the invitation.

This is nonsense.

 

If declarer had Qxx Jxx Kx(x) AKQx(x) he would have played HK at trick one, which would require only one card to be well-placed rather than two. Therefore he has QJx Jxx Kx(x) AKQx(x), and I should discourage.

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If declarer had Qxx Jxx Kx(x) AKQx(x) he would have played HK at trick one, which would require only one card to be well-placed rather than two.  Therefore he has QJx Jxx Kx(x) AKQx(x), and I should discourage.

But with that hand, doesn't declarer now have 5 diamond, 3 club and the heart king for 9 tricks, making this a hopeless situation anyway? I realize every trick counts in competition but I'd be surprised to see the hand posted if it hinges only on whether declarer makes an o/t due to the spade suit. Anyway I'd be reluctant to cater to a holding that assumes declarer has already made.

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