Defence Hand

[eagles123]

imps on BBO both sides 4 card major weak NT, standard leads

 

[hv=pc=n&s=sakj85htdq64cqt72&w=st943hq952da83cj4&d=e&v=n&b=2&a=p1sp2cp3cp3nppp]266|200[/hv]

 

partner leads Jack of Diamonds, low from dummy, plan the defence

 

Thanks

 

Eagles

[billw55]

hmm.

 

First thought is to play an encouraging spot card on trick one. The question is, can declarer then run 9 tricks? If so, is a heart switch critical? Partner did choose a diamond lead over a heart.

Another problem, even if declarer does not have 9 cashers, he can attack partner's entry and block the diamonds. So I would need to try the ♦A and a ♥.

 

However that would be embarrassing if partner has ♦KJTxx and taking the first five tricks is the only way to beat the contract. But is declarer likely to bid 3NT with diamonds wide open?

 

All things considered I will try ♦A then ♥Q, hoping partner has ♥AJ8x or conceivably ♥KJ8x plus ♣A.

[Zelandakh]

However that would be embarrassing if partner has ♦KJTxx and taking the first five tricks is the only way to beat the contract.

Just as an aside, this kind of problem is one of the major benefits of Journalist Leads. The flip side is giving declarer extra information sometimes.

[Wackojack]

Probably wrong but I will play declarer for 2434 distribution with 2 small spades. So I will encourage with the 8♦. When declarer plays on spades I will eventually win with the 10. In the meantime partner and declarer will discard twice. Unless partner actively discourages hearts I will return the 2♥. Sooner or later partner will get in and lead a 10♦ and then another when the K isnt played. Then I hope that partner has the Ace or King of clubs and so is able to cash his winning diamond. Declarer makes 4 spades 1 diamond, 1 club and 1 or 2 hearts.

 

 

In truth I find this a very tough problem and maybe Billw has the simpler solutiion.

[whereagles]

Declarer prob has both red kings for his 3nt bid. Ace, heart queen.

[PhantomSac]

Just as an aside, this kind of problem is one of the major benefits of Journalist Leads. The flip side is giving declarer extra information sometimes.

 

Heh, that's funny I was just thinking this is a good hand to NOT Play journalist leads if you duck (because if you duck your main hope is partner having a club entry and playing back the ten of diamonds and getting a normal misguess...if the jack denied a higher honor that's not possible).

 

Unless the 3N bidder is insane it's a pretty safe bet he has the DK, more important is for him to not know I have the diamond ace.

[Finch]

It's right to take the ace of diamonds and switch to hearts when declarer has the AKxxx clubs and the two red kings and we can cash 4 heart tricks. The problem is that declarer is almost certainly marked with 4 hearts (surely partner would lead a 5-card heart suit unless or would have bid with a putative 5-5 reds where this is going off). To cash 4 heart tricks off the top we need partner to have hugely good hearts i.e. AJ10x, so it seems easier just to duck smoothly and let declarer do his own dirty work.

[billw55]

To cash 4 heart tricks off the top we need partner to have hugely good hearts i.e. AJ10x, so it seems easier just to duck smoothly and let declarer do his own dirty work.

Well, the ten is stiff in dummy, so it isn't quite that bad. But still yeah partner's hearts need to be really good.

 

On the other hand, after declarer wins the ♦K the suit may be blocked on a correct guess. So we would need two entries to cash them, which seems optimistic too.