Old Hand from 1955

[mike777]

Bidding goes:

 

1D-1S-1NT-2H

3D-P-3NT-P

P-P

 

Partner leads the 2 of S

 

Dummy is:

 

93

AQ

AQ10XXX

1098

 

YOUR HAND IS:

 

AK865

74

J3

KJ74

 

Plan your defense?

[luke warm]

partner probably led a stiff spade, else we have a 3nt nut bid... i can't believe the 3nt bidder has fewer than 5 spades, i'm taking the ace and playing club K, then low club (hoping for doubleton Q on the left)

 

edit: oops, not take the A, but the K... sorry

[helium]

I think the voulnability whould help here,(so we know what p bid 2♥on)

but i dont think p have a stiff ♠, declerer have to have a ♥ stopp too(or he would bid 3 ♥i hope)so p bid 2♥ on almoust nothing,so i think he have jxx or xxx in♠, so we have a nut 3 nt? or declerer have a hand like:

♣Qxxx,♦Kxx,♥Kxx♠Q10x.

 

so I whould use ace of♠ and play a small♠

[inquiry]

I think the voulnability whould help here,(so we know what p bid 2♥on)

but i dont think p have a stiff ♠, declerer have to have a ♥ stopp too(or he would bid 3 ♥i hope)so p bid 2♥ on almoust nothing,so i think he have jxx or xxx in♠, so we have a nut 3 nt? or declerer have a hand like:

♣Qxxx,♦Kxx,♥Kxx♠Q10x.

 

so I whould use ace of♠ and play a small♠

I think jimmy is right about spades. Your partner lead the spade TWO. South did not blast to 3NT on QJT of spades (three times), and partner did not lead the spade 2 from T2, J2, Q2, or Jx2, Tx2, or xx2. No the spade 2 must be a singleton (in 1955 they didn't lead low from doubletons).

 

In addition, you can see six diamonds, and at least 2H for South. If this is imps, you have to play your partner for club ACE to have any chance to defeat the contract. Giving South something like.... of course partner could have the club queen too.

 

S-QJTxx H-Kxx D-Kxx C-Qx

 

So at imps, the only chance is to switch to a club. Jimmy's solution is the club King then small catering to this hand. He is certainly on the right track, so much that I would give him full credit. He even started correctly, winning the spade ACE (he later changed to the spade king).

 

In fact, the problem with this hand is when you catch partner with the right hand (three clubs to the ACE), you don't want to confuse him. Your partner doesn't know about the diamond suit (unless he looking at the dead diamond king, and in that case, he can't have club ace).

 

I think the best way to avoid the confusion and DIRECT your partner to the winning defesne, is to win the spade ACE (so partner will count declearer with a spade winner, and contribute you with more points outside of spades). Then return your lowest club.

 

If you wanted a heart back, you would have won spade and lead a high club. Your parnter will play you for four clubs (low spot), and know declearer has two. He will win his ACE and return a club. If you are KQxx or KJxx, you will know what to do. If you are Qxxx or QJxx you will have diamond king for this defense.

 

What is the problem with Club King and low club. PArtner may overthink. He will count your 2S, and 2C, for the defense. He will see declearer's club queen and think he has the club JAck as well. True, he should return club anyway, and await your hypothetical diamond king,

 

The defense of top spade and duck a spade is very wrong. Once they win a spade trick, surely they have 9 tricks. Trying to rely on a trick play here (have declearer hook spade Ten, and partner to have Jxx) is not going to work. If your partner had a hypothetical Kxx and obviously a weak hand, he would not have bid 2H (nor in today's fit no-jump auctions, maybe, but again, never in 1955).

 

Ben

[mike777]

This hand was played in the 1955 Men's national pairs by Edgar Kaplan. I love this defensive hand. Great to try and picture declarer's hand.

 

TRICK ONE=A OF SPADES

TRICK TWO=KING OF CLUBS

TRICK THREE=LOW CLUB

 

DOUBLE DECEPTION IS YOUR ONLY HOPE TO LEAD DECLARER ASTRAY AND HOPE THEY PLAY Q OF CLUBS AT TRICK THREE. Partner wins and returns another spade back to you.

 

DECLARER HAND:

QJ7

K96

K82

Q632

 

PARTNER HAND

1042

J108532

95

A5

[helium]

;)

[helium]

I think the voulnability whould help here,(so we know what p bid 2♥on)

but i dont think p have a stiff ♠, declerer have to have a ♥ stopp too(or he would bid 3 ♥i hope)so p bid 2♥ on almoust nothing,so i think he have jxx or xxx in♠, so we have a nut 3 nt? or declerer have a hand like:

♣Qxxx,♦Kxx,♥Kxx♠Q10x.

 

so I whould use ace of♠ and play a small♠

well i almoust had declerers hand to the last spot(only he had QJx not Q10x).

and i dint see the key in the defence,i played a small ♠after ace.

 

kenneth

[helium]

I think the voulnability whould help here,(so we know what p bid 2♥on)

but i dont think p have a stiff ♠, declerer have to have a ♥ stopp too(or he would bid 3 ♥i hope)so p bid 2♥ on almoust nothing,so i think he have jxx or xxx in♠, so we have a nut 3 nt? or declerer have a hand like:

♣Qxxx,♦Kxx,♥Kxx♠Q10x.

 

so I whould use ace of♠ and play a small♠

I think jimmy is right about spades. Your partner lead the spade TWO. South did not blast to 3NT on QJT of spades (three times), and partner did not lead the spade 2 from T2, J2, Q2, or Jx2, Tx2, or xx2. No the spade 2 must be a singleton (in 1955 they didn't lead low from doubletons).

But its normal to lead low from Jxx or 10xx like i think he have.

 

And south dint Blast to nt whit QJx 3 times. hi just bid 1 nt and 3 nt, whouldnt you whit his hand?

[luke warm]

i do not like the deuce lead from that holding... this is one reason i much prefer journalist leads (tho i don't think they were invented till '56 or so)... still, leading low like that, after this bidding, is very confusing (to me anyway, obviously not to some)

 

an aside to ben... at the table i would have taken the first trick with the king because i want partner to either return a club or a spade... i'm playing lho all the way for Qx in clubs, and i wasn't wanting to dissuade him from leading a spade

 

obviously my read of this hand was wrong (tho the play of it might have worked out ok)

 

oh, mikestar i almost forgot... was it something they did back then only? i mean kaplan playing the ♠A to trick one... it seems to me that marks west with the K

 

edit: nevermind the above question ;)

[Fluffy]

partner probably led a stiff spade, else we have a 3nt nut bid... i can't believe the 3nt bidder has fewer than 5 spades, i'm taking the ace and playing club K, then low club (hoping for doubleton Q on the left)

 

edit: oops, not take the A, but the K... sorry

What I really doubt is someone will bid 1NT with 5♠ to QJ10, that is clear penalty pass bid to me.

 

Maybe the fact I am used of leading third from any 3 card holding on aprtner´s suit influencecs my deduction.