How do you defend?

[Guest Jlall]

Auction starting on your left, you and your pard not bidding:

 

1D-1H-1N-3N

 

Partner leads the 4 of clubs and here's what you see.

(Dummy)

Axx

AJxxx

Axx

xx

..............(You)

..............J98

..............Txxx

..............Kxx

..............KJx

 

You win the king and try the jack, partner playing the 2 (showing 5) on the second one. LHO thought for some time before playing to the second club and then played the ten. You ask and they say that the 1N rebid denied 4 spades. Form of game is IMPs. What now?

[shanbari]

i play SJ, hoping partner has KTXX, then we can score 2c/2s/1D.

and continuing club seems wrong, as partner doesn't seem have side entry to cash them.

 

SHAN

[Winstonm]

Further Clubs look hopeless. The bidding and play suggest declarer's pattern as 3343, 2353, 3253. As long as partner holds a heart honor the suit will only play for 4 tricks, but we have to build some tricks right now before the heart suit can be set up.

[mike777]

Plug for often attitude leads and often suit pref at trick 2 etc.

 

To quote old buddy, "At notrump, I believe attitude leads are much better. They help partner a lot better in deciding whether to continue or switch. And their other tremendous advantage is that they don't help declarer. About one of the most common situations is when declarer has to decide how many cards the opening leader has in his suit, often the choice being between 4 or 5...."

 

But with the facts given here I return J spade but not clear.

[Guest Jlall]

Just a question, why is everyone shifting to the jack and not low? any reason?

[mike777]

Just a question, why is everyone shifting to the jack and not low? any reason?

As I said, not clear to me.

 

Perhaps 9 is technically better but would not figure that out in 60 seconds at table or forum post.

[cherdano]

I just dont see any layout where the ♠J gains over playing low. But playing low puts declarer on a guess if he has ♠QTx.

[Guest Jlall]

I'm not saying one is better or not, to me it is just counter-intuitive. Admittedly it's unlikely declarer has QT dub of spades, but its possible. Now you eliminate the guess. Also if declarer has KTx you freeze the suit if partner gets in first. Again almost impossible but I assumed to make an abnormal play in the spade suit there was some reasoning I was missing. Anyways...I played a spade too (low). Pards actual hand was:

 

Kxxx

x

Jxx

Qxxxx

 

Which leaves declarer with

 

QTx

KQx

QTxx

ATx

 

After a spade shift 9 tricks are easy. However if I play another club, Declarer must guess which king I have. If she guesses incorrectly then she will go down. Note: she can also cater to lho having both kings via triple squeeze, but again she would have to guess. Anyways, I don't like making things easier for declarer but think a spade was the right play too (give pard KTxx of spades and no diamond jack and im an idiot if I don't shift).

[shanbari]

Hi Jail,

 

play S9/S8 is cetainly better than SJ, that i shall do next time.

and It certainly requires partner's more effort to figure my hornor J.

 

 

SHAN

[mike777]

Ok

 

Next defensive quiz I am going to:

1) Be less busy in switching suits

2) Stop switching to these "jack" suits

[Winstonm]

I wonder if Ger would have found the play of the 10 of clubs at trick 2 with this holding?

 

K72, KQx, QJxx, Q10x

 

Now you switch to a spade to the 8, 7, 3, A and you think you've hit gold. He crosses to the K of hearts and runs the queen of diamonds. You win and......Darn!

 

On a more serious note: Doesn't this look like a hand - with all the potential entries in your hand - where the J of clubs at trick 1 is the better play? This caters to declarer holding Q10x, Q10xx, or even Qxx if there aren't 8 outside tricks. It also makes the hold-up more likely to be the Ace - hard to duck from Q10x now, Mr. G.

[Guest Jlall]

If he has QTx of clubs then my partner can duck the second round.

If he has Qxx then we run the first 5 clubs if i win at trick one.

If he has QTxx my pard can duck the second round then we can get in and lead through declarer.

 

so no I don't think the jack at trick 1 has much going for it.

[luis]

In a strong field play a spade, wins automatically if pd has KT of spades and if not declarer can still misguess.

In a weak field play a spade if you need a swing, play a club if you need "protection" everybody will continue clubs in a weak field so you will be protected, specially if declarer is going to misguess.

 

Luis

[Guest Jlall]

Was a strong field. Kerri Sanborn, arguably the best female player in the world was declaring.

[beatrix45]

:D

Unless partner has KQ tight in hearts, she is entryless to cash the clubs. So, I gotta shift to a spade, hoping to build a trick or at least mess up declarer's entries either back to the long diamonds or over to the long heart. Plan to duck the first diamond hook (if any). Hope my 10xxx in hearts is a trick. Maybe we can take two clubs, one diamond, one heart and one spade.