A Defensive Problem

[lamford]

[hv=pc=n&n=skjht842dqj3ckt52&e=sa865hkq95d942c64&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1n(14-16)p3nppp]266|200[/hv]

Scotland just won the Senior Camrose and congrats to all of them including the learned Doctor, John Mathieson, who I am pleased to say is in good health and back to his best. Congrats also to contributor on here, Nigel Guthrie who is also doing well. Wales helped them out by not beating 3NT here. West led the five of diamonds won with South's king, while you gave count, and played a spade to the jack. How do you defend? Partner played his lowest spade which is reverse Smith, saying to continue diamonds if anything.

 

[sorry folks, got the hand slightly wrong first time round; the above is correct]

[Tramticket]

[hv=pc=n&n=skjht842dqj3ckt52&e=sa865hkq95d942c64&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1n(14-16)p3nppp]266|200[/hv]

Scotland just won the Senior Camrose and congrats to all of them including the learned Doctor, John Mathieson, who I am pleased to say is in good health and back to his best. Congrats also to contributor on here, Nigel Guthrie who is also doing well. Wales helped them out by not beating 3NT here. West led the five of diamonds won with South's king, while you gave count, and played a spade to the jack. How do you defend? Partner played his lowest spade which is reverse Smith, saying to continue diamonds if anything.

 

[sorry folks, got the hand slightly wrong first time round; the above is correct]

 

There is room for partner to hold 7 points - so if we assume that he hold the A♦, he doesn't hold either the ace of clubs of hearts. Any club holding in partner's hand can be finessed, so I think declarer is winning the race and we need to be active. There is room for partner to hold the J♥ and Q♠ and I am will win the ace at trick 2 and switch to a low heart.

[lamford]

There is room for partner to hold 7 points - so if we assume that he hold the A♦, he doesn't hold either the ace of clubs of hearts. Any club holding in partner's hand can be finessed, so I think declarer is winning the race and we need to be active. There is room for partner to hold the J♥ and Q♠ and I am will win the ace at trick 2 and switch to a low heart.

If you do that, declarer will duck, and now your expert partner will win and switch back to spades with QTxx Jx ATxxx xx. The defender switched to the king of hearts, and declarer ducked, but now he switched back to spades for one off, so there was no need for his partner to shine!

[gszes]

If you do that, declarer will duck, and now your expert partner will win and switch back to spades with QTxx Jx ATxxx xx. The defender switched to the king of hearts, and declarer ducked, but now he switched back to spades for one off, so there was no need for his partner to shine!

I am unsure at best why this seems superior--surely if lho is looking at QTxx spades (and still has the dia A spade continuation is sort of obvious (3s 1h 1d). Playing the heart K and a spade shift seems unilateral. What is lho has only Qxx of spades and Jxx of hearts? that defense gives declarer 2s 1h 5c 1d. A low heart continuation gives the best of both worlds lho can continue with a spade when they hold QTxx or continue hearts with Jxx.

[Phil]

Clubs feel solid and its not a lock but likely declarer has the sQ. Im defending against

 

Qxxx

Ax

Kxx

AQxx

 

and playing a low heart. Im not envisioning the actual layout.

 

If partner got sloppy with smith and declarer holds

 

Qxxx

Jx

AKx

AQxx

 

I wont be too happy.