defend 4S

[kgr]

[hv=pc=n&w=skqj7hk93dq8754c6&n=s9853ha82dj6ct832&d=n&v=n&b=5&a=p1d(1+%20cD%20%5Bstrong%201C%5D)2n(Strong%205cH%2C%205cC)d(Spade)3c4sppp]266|200[/hv]

1♦ didn't really promise D, Opps play strong 1C.

2NT is a strong 2-suiter (13+), partner can also bid 1NT with good 4-4 or weaker 5-5.

Do you agree with 3C?

South leads ♥J, showing a 5cH an QJ (or a 6cH and JT). Heart K from dummy and your Heart A.

What now?

[CamHenry]

1♦ didn't really promise D, Opps play strong 1C.

2NT is a strong 2-suiter (13+), partner can also bid 1NT with good 4-4 or weaker 5-5.

Do you agree with 3C?

South leads ♥J, showing a 5cH an QJ (or a 6cH and JT). Heart K from dummy and your Heart A.

What now?

 

Hmm. I'd want to see opps' 1M opening description: some pairs play automatic canape with 4cM, so 4♠ is bid on a good 3-carder as an advance sac. I'm having difficulty constructing hands all round here (I assume you'd have mentioned if RHO dropped the ♥Q).

 

Suit distributions: hearts are known, clubs suspected

♠: 4-4-4-1 or 4-4-5-0

♥: 3-3-2-5

♦: 5-2-5-1 or 5-2-4-2

♣: 1-4-2-6

 

If partner's just 5-5, declarer's bid like this on 4=2=4=3 or 5=2=3=3 - neither of which seems plausible! I guess declarer's actual shape is more like 4=2=5=2, giving partner 1=5=1=6. How can we beat this? Declarer can't establish discards on the diamonds; he doesn't have enough clubs for discards, and I'm counting partner for x/QJxxx/x/AKQJxx for his bid. He might be missing the ♣K and have upgraded for shape; that gives declarer Axxx/xx/AKxxx/Kx to "justify" his 4♠ jump. There's a lot of points on this auction.

 

I think we've got 2♥ and 1♣ trick wrapped up. Nothing in ♦, and no ♠ trick looks likely. Declarer can potentially ruff a loser in one hand, unless we draw trumps early - which we can't, now. I have to hope partner has the ♠T, because then declarer has difficulty ruffing without losing entries.

 

Ugh. I think I'm going to play a diamond back, playing the J to look a bit more like a singleton. Hopefully declarer will misread the position; I can't see this costing (if declarer has 6 diamonds, he'll lose a ruff here so we don't need to worry about conceding a trick).

[Phil]

Bridge on Mars must be fun.

[PhilKing]

My crystal ball tells me partner has the stiff ♠T, so I return the ♣T.

 

The double of 2NT shows not only four spades, but presumably a good hand, so I think declarer could jump to 4♠ on ♠A432 ♥74 ♦AT93 ♣AJ4. With the usual precision seaweed, he just bids Three.

 

Declarer has four diamond tricks, four spades an ace and a ruff for ten tricks, so it seems we can't beat it. Our aim is to wreck his communications for drawing trumps and getting his ruff, and we can do that by attacking clubs. When partner gets in with a diamond, a club continuation stops declarer drawing trumps. If declarer tries to counter that by playing a low diamond at trick three, partner wins and exits with a diamond!

[kgr]

This was the full deal:

[hv=pc=n&w=skqj7hk93dq8754c6&n=s9853ha82dj6ct832&e=sAT62h64dkt932ca9&d=n&v=n&b=5&a=p1d(1+%20cD%20%5Bstrong%201C%5D)2n(Strong%205cH%2C%205cC)d(Spade)3c4sppp]366|300[/hv]

1♦ didn't really promise D, Opps play strong 1C.

2NT is a strong 2-suiter (13+), partner can also bid 1NT with good 4-4 or weaker 5-5.

South leads ♥J, showing a 5cH an QJ (or a 6cH and JT). Heart K from dummy and your Heart A.

 

I returned a ♣ and declarer easily made his contract. I thought that he could go wrong if we let him ruff a ♥. He could play a small ♠ to dummy. Neither Opps or we are experts.

I thought that maybe ♥ return was better?

 

Comments on the bidding also welcome:

- 2NT showed a good 5-5, I guess that South cannot do more?

- Should North do more with ♥A and 4c♣?

- Do you agree with 3C?

[PhilKing]

I think your partner needs to work on his opening leads.

[kgr]

I think your partner needs to work on his opening leads.

It is only down with ♦A lead, but is that obvious? I have an entry with ♥A, but how likely was that?