See if you would get the defense right on this hand. North deals and opens:
N E S W
1D P 1S P
2H P 2NT P
3NT
I was sitting West, and held:
West (me)
♠ Q954
♥ AJ82
♦ AQ
♣ J75
♠ Q954
♥ AJ82
♦ AQ
♣ J75
Do you agree with my bidding? I debated doubling 1S (negative, showing hearts and clubs), but my flat hand was not very appealing and so I decided to sit out the auction. After North reversed with 2H, I was glad I hadn't gotten involved.
So, now it's my lead. What would you lead? The choices (in my mind) were between a low heart and a club. The problem with a heart is that it could blow a trick if their heart honors are split -- declarer can run it to the honor in his hand, and then finesse towards the honor in dummy. So, I lead the five of clubs.
Dummy came down, and this what I saw:
Initially, I thought partner would have nothing, but it appears that they may have overbid this thing. Partner might have a king somewhere.
On the 5 of clubs, declarer played the 9 of clubs from dummy and partner contributed the 8 of clubs. Because neither attitude nor count is useful in clubs, I took that as suit preference. So, when declarer led a diamond to the board, I hopped up with the Ace of diamonds and led a spade. Declarer now took four club tricks, with both partner and me discarding an encouraging heart on the fourth club.
King of diamond, felling my queen and then a diamond to partner's Jack on which I discarded a low (encouraging) spade. I was down to:
West (me)
♠ Q9
♥ AJ8
♦
♣
Partner now led the Jack of spades through declarer. Declarer played the King. What do you do?
I played the 9 of spades and was promptly endplayed when declarer exited to my queen after cashing a diamond (on which I threw the 8 of hearts). He got his heart King to make 3NT. I needed to unblock the Queen (the Jack should promise the 10 of spades) or discard it on the fourth diamond, and then I get partner to push a heart through.
Partner did well to lead the Jack of spades -- it would be required if I held the King and declarer the Queen in that suit. Because I had the unblock available if I held the Queen instead (as here), the hearts could wait.
This was the full hand:
On the 5 of clubs, declarer played the 9 of clubs from dummy and partner contributed the 8 of clubs. Because neither attitude nor count is useful in clubs, I took that as suit preference. So, when declarer led a diamond to the board, I hopped up with the Ace of diamonds and led a spade. Declarer now took four club tricks, with both partner and me discarding an encouraging heart on the fourth club.
King of diamond, felling my queen and then a diamond to partner's Jack on which I discarded a low (encouraging) spade. I was down to:
West (me)
♠ Q9
♥ AJ8
♦
♣
Partner now led the Jack of spades through declarer. Declarer played the King. What do you do?
I played the 9 of spades and was promptly endplayed when declarer exited to my queen after cashing a diamond (on which I threw the 8 of hearts). He got his heart King to make 3NT. I needed to unblock the Queen (the Jack should promise the 10 of spades) or discard it on the fourth diamond, and then I get partner to push a heart through.
Partner did well to lead the Jack of spades -- it would be required if I held the King and declarer the Queen in that suit. Because I had the unblock available if I held the Queen instead (as here), the hearts could wait.
This was the full hand:
| Dealer: N Vul: EW |
North (dummy) ♠ A ♥ T964 ♦ K942 ♣ AKQ9 |
|
| West (me) ♠ Q954 ♥ AJ82 ♦ AQ ♣ J75 |
East ♠ JT87 ♥ Q53 ♦ JT5 ♣ 864 |
|
| South ♠ K632 ♥ K7 ♦ 8763 ♣ T32 |
||
| Bidding: | N E S W 1D P 1S P 2H P 2NT P 3NT | HTML Bridge Hand Layout Creator |
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