Expert Defence

[lamford]

[hv=pc=n&s=skj96432h42da32c2&n=s5hqj3dkq64cak986&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=4sppp]266|200[/hv]

IMPs. Top division of a national league.

 

The defence starts with the ace, king and another heart, which is disappointing, East shows an even number, and follows to the third round. You lead a spade and it goes queen, king, seven. No flicker from the expert opponents. What now?

[mikeh]

[hv=pc=n&s=skj96432h42da32c2&n=s5hqj3dkq64cak986&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=4sppp]266|200[/hv]

IMPs. Top division of a national league.

 

The defence starts with the ace, king and another heart, which is disappointing, East shows an even number, and follows to the third round. You lead a spade and it goes queen, king, seven. No flicker from the expert opponents. What now?

Nothing we do matters if west has A108x or A10x…we’re down

 

So the holdings that matter are east with Q10 and AQ tight.

 

 

Nothing matters to him if he held AQ and expected us to hold KJ10xxxx(x)

 

But if he expects us to hold AJ9xxxx or KJ9xxxx the 10 from Q10 tight is basically giving up. We put in the Jack and next round drop his Queen. The way he stops that is to play the Queen and have his partner duck smoothly if he has the Ace.

 

He might not ‘care’ which he played from AQ. From AQ tight he might fly the Ace. But if he’s looking at Q10, he knows that the Queen is the correct card. It costs an overtrick only if we have ten spades but that’s extremely rare and so what? If we have AJxxxxxx it doesn’t matter. But when we have AJ9xxxx or KJ9xxxx then the Queen is mandatory.

 

I’ve never seen this situation, possibly because I’ve not played enough bridge against opponents capable of this defence. But if I were playing well and knew that my opps were truly world class (not in the BBO rankings, where as one example I can claim to be WC despite not being anywhere good enough in reality) then I’d play RHO for Q10 tight.

[Cyberyeti]

Nothing we do matters if west has A108x or A10x…we’re down

 

So the holdings that matter are east with Q10 and AQ tight.

 

 

Nothing matters to him if he held AQ and expected us to hold KJ10xxxx(x)

 

But if he expects us to hold AJ9xxxx or KJ9xxxx the 10 from Q10 tight is basically giving up. We put in the Jack and next round drop his Queen. The way he stops that is to play the Queen and have his partner duck smoothly if he has the Ace.

 

He might not ‘care’ which he played from AQ. From AQ tight he might fly the Ace. But if he’s looking at Q10, he knows that the Queen is the correct card. It costs an overtrick only if we have ten spades but that’s extremely rare and so what? If we have AJxxxxxx it doesn’t matter. But when we have AJ9xxxx or KJ9xxxx then the Queen is mandatory.

 

I’ve never seen this situation, possibly because I’ve not played enough bridge against opponents capable of this defence. But if I were playing well and knew that my opps were truly world class (not in the BBO rankings, where as one example I can claim to be WC despite not being anywhere good enough in reality) then I’d play RHO for Q10 tight.

 

The lead is unfortunate in another way as it makes it impossible to successfully represent the other holding where playing the Q from Q10 costs, KJ 9th where playing the Q now drops partner's stiff A.

 

Q is a routine play from Q10 and routine enough an expert will do it in tempo, I'm not sure there is a right answer to this one, just guess and guess well. I probably play him for Q10 because there is the risk that successfully felling the ace is insufficient if the opening leader had ♥AKx ♠10xx now the spade promotes although east showing an even number doesn't suggest this is an issue.

[cherdano]

I’ve never seen this situation, possibly because I’ve not played enough bridge against opponents capable of this defence. But if I were playing well and knew that my opps were truly world class (not in the BBO rankings, where as one example I can claim to be WC despite not being anywhere good enough in reality) then I’d play RHO for Q10 tight.

I agree except I am not sure why we would need RHO to be world-class. Yes Q from QT maybe unlikely, but still seems more likely than Q from AQ.

[lamford]

I agree except I am not sure why we would need RHO to be world-class. Yes Q from QT maybe unlikely, but still seems more likely than Q from AQ.

My view is that it is more likely that East has AQ doubleton, because West ducked. Some of the time he might win the king with the ace. With Txx he would always duck!