defence cock-up (IMPs)

[AL78]

In the interest of not looking like I am deliberately posting hands where my partner made a mistake, here is one where I just didn't think at trick 2. Cross-IMPS.

 

South

♠74

♥AJ9832

♦74

♣Q87

 

 

[hv=d=s&v=n&b=15&a=2d2s3d4sppp]133|100[/hv]

2♦ was the Multi.

 

Partner leads the ♥7. Dummy comes down with:

 

♠AK2

♥K54

♦T63

♣A94

 

Declarer plays the 6. What do you do after winning with the ace?

 

You would likely deduce the heart is a certain singleton and return one for partner to ruff, who would then cash two top diamonds taking the contract down. I had the fact she bid diamonds at the three level stuck in my mind, thinking if declarer held the king I need to lead through it now or never, and returned a diamond without thinking, blowing the defence.

 

[hv=pc=n&s=s74haj9832d74cq87&w=sq98653hqt6dj9ck3&n=sjth7dakq852cjt65&e=sak2hk54dt63ca942]399|300[/hv]

 

I must make a plan before playing to trick 2.

I must make a plan before playing to trick 2.

I must make a plan before playing to trick 2.

...

 

Not as bad as it could have been (only four tables, and one pair went three off in 2♥, no-one else bidding game EW), but still, if it is an evening where we have to defend 15 out of 21 boards, I really need to do better than this.

[Cyberyeti]

Which is why declarer should play the ♥10 under the ace, leaving the possibility that partner has a doubleton.

[LBengtsson]

your fault, partner fault also. she should lead ♦A, see your card before leading stiff ♥ at trick two or three. leading ♥ trick one says that she do not have ♦AK, maybe ♦AQ. defense takes two to tango. declarer can false card trick on ♥ lead and you do not if partner has ♥x or xx as cyberyeti says.

[apollo1201]

Where I live, it is almost standard when having AK and a side singleton to lead K then switch. Like this, partner could have made you impossible to go wrong...

[AL78]

Where I live, it is almost standard when having AK and a side singleton to lead K then switch. Like this, partner could have made you impossible to go wrong...

 

That may be true, but I still should have thought about it more instead of playing too quickly. I know that in some cases, it is possible to guide partner to the correct action, but that is no substitute for working things out.

[pescetom]

That may be true, but I still should have thought about it more instead of playing too quickly. I know that in some cases, it is possible to guide partner to the correct action, but that is no substitute for working things out.

 

I agree with the others, partner had a clear bid of either ♦A or ♦K according to agreements.

So you're still deliberately posting hands where partner made a mistake :)

[AL78]

I agree with the others, partner had a clear bid of either ♦A or ♦K according to agreements.

So you're still deliberately posting hands where partner made a mistake :)

 

As a result of the surprising responses, I am going to discuss this situation with her because we don't (as far as I know) have any agreement that leading an ace or king from an AK combination then switching says "give me a ruff". With a different (my more regular) partner, I once did lead an ace then switched to a singleton, which she won, then didn't return the suit. Her reasoning was if it was a singleton, I would have led it at trick one.

[smerriman]

.. that leading an ace or king from an AK combination then switching says "give me a ruff"..

I wouldn't say that at all; it's more the reverse implication - leading something else almost always denies having an AK, since that's the #1 choice of lead in almost all situations.

[apollo1201]

As a result of the surprising responses, I am going to discuss this situation with her because we don't (as far as I know) have any agreement that leading an ace or king from an AK combination then switching says "give me a ruff". With a different (my more regular) partner, I once did lead an ace then switched to a singleton, which she won, then didn't return the suit. Her reasoning was if it was a singleton, I would have led it at trick one.

While it can be quite common to switch after leading an A from AK (see dummy, partner’s signal or count...), imagining that the switch is a sg is impossible.

However, leading K then switching is a clearer signal (unless the switch can be legitimately linked to other reasons, sg in dummy, partner thinking a Bath Coup is around...). In that case, it is less legible that you have a sg.

[AL78]

While it can be quite common to switch after leading an A from AK (see dummy, partner’s signal or count...), imagining that the switch is a sg is impossible.

However, leading K then switching is a clearer signal (unless the switch can be legitimately linked to other reasons, sg in dummy, partner thinking a Bath Coup is around...). In that case, it is less legible that you have a sg.

 

Thanks, smerriman explained it clearly, leading A or K strongly implies holding touching honors (and vice versa), so if partner leads an ace followed by a likely singleton, it is easier to decide to give a ruff.