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Defensive switch?


paulg

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[hv=d=w&v=b&e=sxhkt9xxdatckqxxx&s=stxxhaqxdqxxcajxx]266|200|Scoring: IMP

1 1

1 2!

2 3

3 5

 

Lead: 10[/hv]

 

Partner leads the 10, which is NOT a doubleton (as you lead small from 10x including 109). Dummy plays the Q and declarer follows when you play your A.

 

What now?

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If partner has led a singleton, then declarer is likely to be 4063, leaving 5521 for partner. I'm likely to score J in this case, but there is a risk of being endplayed with Q, for example if his hand is:

 

AKQx

-

KJxxxx

9xx

 

If I return , declarer may win, ruff a , play A, ruff a , play K, noticing they are 3-2. Then KQ and the last to me, forcing me to play a rounded suit.

 

Conclusion: I'm still giving partner the ruff. Small .

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But what if Declarer has the stiff Cl ?

( Could partner be leading from 3 cards: 10 9 x ? )

 

If so, then I need to know dummys spots .

 

For example if Dummy is K Q 8 7 x, then returning a Cl

allows Declarer to get rid of one of his/her Ht losers:

 

Say Declarer is more like this:

Opener

♠ A K Q x

♥ x x

♦ K J x x x x

♣ x

 

Responder

x

K T 9 x x

A T

K Q 8 7 x

 

On the 2nd Cl lead Partner has to put up the 9.

Declarer leads the 3rd Rnd of Cl ... the 8 ... and if

you don't cover with the J, s/he pitches the last

losing Ht.

If you do cover, then Declarer ruffs; takes the K, A of Diam

removing both trumps from partner.

The last two Cl provide discards of the 2nd Ht and the losing Sp.

 

Only two tricks lost: Cl Ace and Diam Q.

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So if Declarer has the stiff Cl ( as in my above post ), you must switch to

a small trump at trick 2. Even if he can now drop

your Diam Q, he can only get rid of 1 of his 3 losers ( 1s,2h ) in hand.

 

Your side gets 3 tricks total.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

If your partner has the stiff Cl, ( ie 9 x x and a Ht void as in the post by Gerben) switch to a trump anyway.

Declarer will lose another natural Cl and a Sp if he plays

to drop your Diam Q. If he ruffs the losing Sp, you will win your

Diam Q.

 

Your side again gets 3 tricks.

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If your partner has the stiff Cl, ( ie 9 x x and a Ht void as in the post by Gerben)  switch to a trump anyway.

Declarer will lose another natural Cl and a Sp if he plays

to drop your Diam Q.  If he ruffs the losing Sp, you will win your

Diam Q.

 

Your side again gets 3 tricks.

Declarer wins 10, ruffs a spade with A, ruffs a heart, cashes K, cashes the top spades, and endplays you with the third round of diamonds - it's just a slight variation on what Gerben described.

Edited by gnasher
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So if Declarer has the stiff Cl ( as in my above post ), you must switch to

a small trump at trick 2.  Even if he can now drop

your Diam Q, he can only get rid of 1 of his 3 losers ( 1s,2h ) in hand.

That's not necessary, is it? We can just make the more natural play of a spade and leave declarer to go down peacefully.

Edited by gnasher
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Partner will not lead for 3 low clubs when dummy is sure to have 5 of them. Even holding 3 baby H and t9x of clubs and no other lead its preferable to lead a H since opener with Hx in H would be happy to rebid 3H instead of 3D and responder will be happy to rebid 3H instead of 5D with 5 good H that are playable facing xx. So with this bidding its much more likely that declarer pitch H losers on clubs than the other way around.

 

Im sure that partner got a stiff at least 95% of the time and I agree with Gerben that returning a non-club is asking to be endplayed.

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Partner will not lead for 3 low clubs when dummy is sure to have 5 of them. Even holding 3 baby H and t9x of clubs and no other lead its preferable to lead a H since opener with Hx in H would be happy to rebid 3H instead of 3D and responder will be happy to rebid 3H instead of 5D with 5 good H that are playable facing xx. So with this bidding its much more likely that declarer pitch H losers on clubs than the other way around.

 

Im sure that partner got a stiff at least 95% of the time and  I agree with Gerben that  returning a non-club is asking to be endplayed.

Agreed that partner should have a singleton club, and after all these comments I am still convinced the best return is a low club.

 

However, a (late) thought that comes to mind is "If West is the hand approx that Gerben shows, why did West not bid 3 to investigate a 3NT declared by East?". As luck would have it, our Qxx means that 3NT should be cold on a finesse even after a low spade opening lead. And after any other opening lead, it should be even easier to score 9 tricks in 3NT.

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Declarer held

 

AKQx

x

Jxxxxxx

x

 

and you need to cash the A to beat the contract.

 

As no-one mentioned this option, I'll blame the partner who led a club holding

 

Jxxxx

Jxxx

K

T9x

 

Although, despite benlessard's well-reasoned comment, I don't think I'll blame anyone too much.

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It's also necessary to cash a heart if he has AQJx x KJ9xxxx x. There is some reason for thinking declarer is 4-7: he chose to bid a moderate diamond suit for a third time, rather than bidding either 4 or 3. This might be easier at the table, where you'd have declarer's tempo over 3 to help.
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I'll accept all apologies in advance from those who thought my suggestion was offbase that partner led the Cl 10 from : 10 9 x ...

 

Too bad I didn't think of cashing the Ht Ace even if Declarer has 2 cards in Hts.

He is going to get a discard anyway on the high Cl in dummy,

so cashing the Ace doesn't hurt ( and eliminates any endplay situation ).

 

THEN return a Sp ( as suggested by gnasher earlier ) and "wait" for your setting trick with the Diam Q .

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I am far from saying I would have gotten this right. But it does seem clear to me partner was far more likely to have T9x of clubs than a stiff club. I would not base my defense on partner holding a stiff club if it gave me worse chances opposite T9x.
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I think that opener 2D is a catch all bid and can show a balanced hand like

 

AKQx

xx

KJxx

xxx

 

so when he rebid 3D hes showing repeating D for the first time imo.

Ben Lessard ( sry.. not Jdonn )

For the hand you show, you can make what Max Hardy ( author of TWO OVER ONE GAME FORCE ) calls: " The Least Plausible Bid" after 4th Suit Game Force in order to distinguish between a 5/6 or 4/4 hand for Opener.

 

And that is a repeat of Spades in the original post:

 

1D - 1H

1S - 2C!

2S! = either a rare 5s/6d hand

or a 4s/4d hand because

of an equally rare problem rebid:

-- no 3 cards Hts ( 2H )

-- no 4 cards Cl ( 3C )

-- no 5+ cards Diam ( 2D )

-- no stop in Hts ( 2NT )

 

If Opener rebids SPADES again, it is the 5s/6d hand.

If Opener makes ANY other rebid, it is the 4s/4d hand .

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