Back to defence

[Fluffy]

Delarer holds the following known cards: K(J) of spades, and the A of clubs.

This looks similar than my first analysis :blink:, but its wrong:

 

Declarer might have ♠953, leaving pratner with ♠KJ86, the problem is, appart from making your 4 obvious tricks there is no way you can find a 5th.

 

And of course, partner may have ♣A. But again chances of defeating would be 0%

 

Now it seems obvious that....

 

 

There are 2 lines to put the contract down, findind aprtner with AJxx or AQxx in hearts (play heart 8) or find partner with AQJx or AQxxx in diamonds (play any diamond).

 

It seems the hearts are better chance, but its close enough to think a third option could make another winner

 

[Walddk]

[hv=d=s&v=n&n=saqh10652dk10cqj1053&w=s10842hk83d9765ck7&e=sj653haj74dj8c984&s=sk97hq9daq432ca62]399|300|Scoring: IMP

South: 3NT

Lead: S2[/hv]

 

Here is the full hand.

 

Bidding: 1NT - 3NT.

 

Trick 1: S2, A, 6, 9.

 

Trick 2: CQ, 9, 2, K.

 

Trick 3: ??

 

Well done to those of you who found the killing switch: ♥8! (unblocking the suit). If you return ♥3, the suit is agonisingly blocked 30 seconds later. A valiant attempt by declarer to conceal his spade holding by dropping the 9 at trick 1, looking like a man who started with K9 doubleton. But no way he can fool us when we see partner's 6. He would have discouraged with the 7 if he had J7653.

 

Now the club play. In a situation like this count is not an issue. You already discouraged spades, and everyone at the table knows that ♠Q is an entry. So count is not what partner needs, but a suit preference signal is.

 

East followed with the ♣9, hoping to tell partner that hearts were the future for the defence. Justin suggested the 8. That might well have worked, but it's a little dangerous in case East has 98 doubleton. In that case he must play the 8 in order to get a diamond switch.

 

Once West sees the 9, he must surely turn his attention to hearts, but that is not enough as I explained. And yes, Jimmy, the 8 does look like a big card (no interest in the suit), but there is no law against thinking, and what you must be hoping for when you do switch to a heart is for declarer to hold Q9 or J9.

 

You can only hope that partner gets the message, but he should really take stock when he sees the 9 from declarer. After some deliberation he will hopefully return the 4.

 

Just as well that you unblocked the 8, wasn't it?

 

By the way, not a good hand for weak notrumpers. The bidding would then have gone:

 

1♦ - 2♣

2N - 3N

 

Now the heart switch is much easier to find.

 

Roland

[whereagles]

bah.. my great defense of ducking the club king was the best. It required pard to have only the DA, a much lesser prayer than AJ7x or better in hearts :blink:

[Guest Jlall]

bah.. my great defense of ducking the club king was the best. It required pard to have only the DA, a much lesser prayer than AJ7x or better in hearts :(

Well, first of all partner would need AJ or AQ of diamonds or else the DT can force the ace and an entry is created.

 

Second, If partner has the AQ or AJ of diamonds, then he has no other high cards. This means declarer can just knock out the heart and lose 1 heart, 1 club, and 1 or 2 diamonds.

[Fluffy]

If I didn't misscount partner could held 5-7 HCP, this meas ♦AQ would let him hold ♥J.

[Guest Jlall]

yes you're right pard can have a heart honor... I guess there is something to be said for ducking the club then but its a pretty big play and playing partner for a very specific type of hand. Besides declarer wont fall for it anyways, he should next play to the ace if he has AQH, diamond honor, and SK as he will have 9 tricks almost always as long as he takes 4 clubs

[Finch]

Delarer holds the following known cards: K(J) of spades, and the A of clubs.

This looks similar than my first analysis :), but its wrong:

 

Declarer might have ♠953, leaving pratner with ♠KJ86, the problem is, appart from making your 4 obvious tricks there is no way you can find a 5th.

I couldn't think of a hand for declarer holding 953 of spades where it was correct for him to rise with the Ace.