Defensive play problem

[1eyedjack]

I think that this is an intermediate level problem. That's my judgement call. Doubtless all y'all will pile in and pick holes in that assessment, but anyway I felt I blew this hand and thought it might be instructive. I/you are North, by the way.

 

[hv=d=e&v=b&n=sa75hqj86dk762cj9&e=sk62hakt73dct8642]266|200|Scoring: IMP

E...S...W...N

P...1♣..1♠..X

2♣..X...2♦..2♠

4♠..P...P...X

P...P...P

 

X = neg, promising 4x♥

2♣ was UCB (good raise to 2♠ or better)

2♠ was likewise but in ♣, angling for NT with help in ♠

 

Lead ♣J overtaken with ♣Q and ruffed. ♠ to K (you duck) and ♠ back to Q (South following x and J)

Over to you (North)[/hv]

[vuroth]

I have 11 HCP, dummy 10. Partner has turned up with 9HCP (AKQ♣), so declarer must have 10.

 

So declarer has QJ♠ and AQJ♦. Declarer is likely 5440 or 5350.

 

I return the last trump. I don't want declarer to ruff a diamond.

 

Hopefully partner has teh T♦, and we can hold declarer to 2♦ tricks. As for ♥, I can only hope declarer doesn't lead low to the ten....

[1eyedjack]

Ouch! you did what I did. But this is not a very good hand for posting, and I must apologise. And on reflection perhaps that is the right way to play, even though it fails. Getting rid of that remaining trump on table to cut down on the one available ruff is so tempting.

 

It certainly looks as though declarer is making a mess of it. Why is he not playing on Diamonds before trumps?

 

On the actual hand, there is no defence if declarer plays it right. Declarer has AQJTx of Diamonds and has just the one diamond loser even without the ruff.

 

The alternative defence that I was thinking about was to continue Clubs to force declarer to ruff. He started with only 5 Spades (partner followed twice) and has ruffed one club already and drawn two rounds of trumps, so he is now down to just two trumps in hand, one on table, and one outstanding with the defence (you). So if you lead another Club which he ruffs, he is now down to a singleton trump in each hand and one trump still outstanding. If he takes the diamond ruff (presumably by way of a ruffing finesse which you cover), then he has no way back to hand otherwise than by way of a ruff with his last trump, leaving you still with an outstanding trump for the defence.

 

That got me to thinking, after the hand: Is allowing him that one Diamond ruff a price worth paying in order to sever his communications? And I think the answer is yes. Severing the communications should gain us back at least that one trick (if only by promoting my last trump) and quite possibly more (assuming that the defence has any chance at all).

 

Of course, it turns out that partner was very light for the 1C opener, and the double of the cue bid was also rather nebulous. So it is reasonable to expect partner to have some help for you in Diamonds, given that he has nothing else outside Clubs and the Jack of Spades. In that case, however, either method of defending will beat this contract.

 

So, even though the contract is cold as the cards lie, I think perhaps a Club continuation makes him sweat a bit more, and he may have a losing option.

 

Partner's decision to overtake my Club at trick 1 puts a bit more pressure on the defence. I can see why he did it. If they are breaking 6-5-1-1 then overtaking trick 1 is his last opportunity to play a second round of Clubs through declarer. But that is I think ill thought out. I am unlikely to be bidding 2S with only singleton Club support.

[whereagles]

Indeed. 2♠ probably shows 2 clubs, else you'd probably have doubled 2♦ on the misfit.

 

Must confess my feeling was to play ♠A, ♠ as well, though on reflection a club is definitely better. If declarer's diamonds aren't solid, he's gonna go down anyway.