Defensive problem

[suokko]

So lets have some fun problem and defend a hand trick by trick.

 

Rules are simple: Everyone can propose what should be done for currently running trick and then I select the most popular (or the best justified) defense until there is next decision moment.

 

This hand is from Board-A-Match teams so over tricks are valuable too.

 

[hv=d=n&v=e&s=sa64h8752da94caq5]133|100|Scoring: BAM[/hv]

 

You sit as east and decide not to interfere in red/white and biding goes

1♠-1NT!;

2♣!-3♠;

ap

 

1♠ 11-15 5+♠

1NT was forcing

2♣ better minor

3♠ 3 card limit raise

 

What is our lead?

[vuroth]

8♥

[gwnn]

♠4 (I would never have passed 1♠)

 

this is reminiscent somewhat to Kasparov vs. the World, but there Kasparov didn't know the whole hand.

[vuroth]

Fwiw, I consider a pass of 1♠ automatic.

[bd71]

I'm confused...did North pass initially, meaning it was South that opened 1S? This is only way I can be on lead here as West. But if North is a passed hand, how can 1N be forcing?

 

I'm going to assume for the moment you mean that we are East...

 

As East, I lead whatever heart my partnership has agreed is from an honorless 4-card suit. For my most regular partner, that would also be the 8♥.

 

Other initial defensive preliminaries: I expect them to have 21-24 hcp, leaving partner with 2-5. I expect to take 4 tricks in hand (3 aces and almost certainly the QC...hard to imagine north doesn't have KC if clubs is better minor). Developing another trick in hand seems unlikely...best chance may if declarer is short in hearts and we can force him a couple of times to take trump control and make a long heart good (although dummy may have long hearts too). For that purpose, I plan to hold onto my AS as long as possible.

 

Bottom line: hearts is the lead both to kick off the forcing defensive strategy and because we don't want to lead from any of our aces.

[pooltuna]

♠4 (I would never have passed 1♠)

 

this is reminiscent somewhat to Kasparov vs. the World, but there Kasparov didn't know the whole hand.

my choice as well. It is more passive i.e. less likely to cost a trick than any of the other leads. Partner rates to have at most a K or maybe 2Q leading a ♥ probably finds the ♥Q for declarer.♦ A probably eliminates a guess for the ♦Q or is more likely to eliminate a promotion of the ♦J. The ♠ could do the same for the J but holding fewer cards in ♠ makes it lower odds.

[gwnn]

I would like to propose to suokko to make us either South or just state it clearly who is it who dealt and opened but then han would say I'm a fascist :)

[suokko]

sorry. error there. We are east. North deals and opens.

 

I also forgot the signals which are 4th best leads and upside count and attitude. :)

[suokko]

♠ lead 2 votes

♥ lead 2 votes

 

I think pooltuna had so good explenation of full hand that we go with small ♠ lead B)

 

[hv=d=n&v=e&e=sa64h8752da94caq5&s=st98haqj4dk853c83]266|200|Scoring: BAM

1♠-1NT!;

2♣!-3♠;

ap[/hv]

 

4th leads and udca.

 

So play continues:

♠ 4 T 3 2

♦ 3 2 Q ?

 

What now? Do we win the trick? If yes what we shift to?

 

 

PS. Parter my have been passed hand to influence my pass but after that dummy many agree that biding might have gone for number here. So what ever caused the initial pass was now lucky judgment. Deals were shuffled by hand for each round - no hand records so hard to remember all the minor details of deals.

[Codo]

I had lead a trump, find it obvious so it is 3-2 B)

 

Now I win and lead a heart.

[gwnn]

win and lead a heart I guess. against good players double would not have gone for a number because S would show a good raise

[bd71]

Win diamond trick, then lead AS and another spade.

 

Why is declarer playing diamonds? Why not lead up to his presumed KC, getting things set up to ruff a club in dummy?

 

I'm probably missing something, and may be taking this line of reasoning too far, but...if declarer is pretty decent, the only thing that makes sense to me is that he started with a singleton diamond, has a bunch of club losers, and wants to do a dummy reversal. This probably means he has the KH so he's comfortable with transportation to dummy. If correct, he would be playing for a possible 10 tricks (5 S, 4H, 1D) with a hand like:

 

KQJxx

Kxx

Q

Jxxx (or maybe even xxxx)

 

To blow this strategy up, we would want to lead AS and another trump. Even if I'm wrong about this, I don't see how the trump leads would hurt us...if partner has the KH, I think he's still going to win it eventually anyway.

[pooltuna]

I had lead a trump, find it obvious so it is 3-2 :)

 

Now I win and lead a heart.

yep count mine the same as roland's

[suokko]

all voted for winning ♦A so we take it :)

3 votes for ♥ shift

1 vote for more trumps

 

♥ shift wins if partner holds K and declarer holds xx and QJ in reds :) We kill the only entry to dummy before ♦J is unblocked. Now question is which card we should lead? Count? Attitude? suit preference? Looks like situation where partner doesn't need either of attitude or S/P (should be obvious from dummy). And count is unlikely to be off any use so we can just pick a random card to lead. Of course if partner is strict about signals then better to lead the count here correctly but to me it looks hand where declarer needs the count a lot more than partner.

 

[hv=d=n&v=e&e=sa6(4)h875(2)d(a)94caq5&s=s(t)98haqj(4)dk85(3)c83]266|200|Scoring: BAM

1♠-1NT!;

2♣!-3♠;

ap[/hv]

 

4th leads and udca.

 

So play continues:

♠ 4 T 3 2

♦ 3 2 Q A

♥ 2 4 9 K (No luck with ♥ shift this time)

♠ 7 ?

 

Now declarer is trying to draw the trumps. What now?

[Vilgan]

Having trouble constructing hands where declarer would decline the invite and still have the K of clubs. Maybe KQJxx K Qx Kxxx? Regardless, even then if I let the spade go by (or win and don't switch) I am still getting only 1 club trick. If I continue something other than a club, declarer might come to 10+ tricks.. KQJxx Kx QJx xxx for example yields 11 tricks if I don't switch to clubs now.

 

So I win the A of spades, cash the AQ of clubs and (assuming declarer doesn't claim immediately) figure out what to do from there. Maybe a heart in case declarer has 4414 shape.

[suokko]

Having trouble constructing hands where declarer would decline the invite and still have the K of clubs. Maybe KQJxx K Qx Kxxx? Regardless, even then if I let the spade go by (or win and don't switch) I am still getting only 1 club trick. If I continue something other than a club, declarer might come to 10+ tricks.. KQJxx Kx QJx xxx for example yields 11 tricks if I don't switch to clubs now.

 

So I win the A of spades, cash the AQ of clubs and (assuming declarer doesn't claim immediately) figure out what to do from there. Maybe a heart in case declarer has 4414 shape.

right.

 

This is interesting hand also from declarer play side. Our declarer didn't play perfectly so defensive problem was easier than it could have been.

[hv=n=st98haqjxdkxxxcxx&s=skqj7xhkxdqjcjxxx]133|200|Declarer moved to south for Csaba :)[/hv]

 

What would be better line for declarer to prevent the ♣ shift?