Defense at Trick One

Last night in the team game I declared a hand where the defense allowed a contract to be made at both tables that might have been set. You hold:

S A75
H J4
D 974
C Q6542

Both sides are vulnerable. The bidding:

LHO Ptr RHO You

2C 2D P* P
2H P 2NT P
4H P P P

* showing some values

Partner leads the Jack of spades. Dummy has:

.................S 9432
................H 92
................D K532
................C J87

S A75
H J4
D 974
C Q6542

How do you defend?

Consider what declarer has, given this bidding and the opening lead. Partner put in a vulnerable 2D overcall, so is likely to have all of the missing diamonds, so declarer is void. His lead of the Jack of Spades probably means he has the ten also, but the bidding surely indicates that declarer has the KQ.

So how can the defense get 4 tricks? The only chance is 2 Spade tricks and 2 Club tricks. But in order for the defense to have a chance, it is necessary that you duck the spade Ace. Declarer has no entries to dummy, so he cannot play a spade through your Ace later on. But if you put up the Ace, he will score his KQ easily. You have to make declarer play both clubs and spades from his hand.

This is the full hand:

9432
92
K532
J87

JT6..............A75
53.................J4
AQJT86.......974
KT................Q6542

KQ8
AKQT876
-
A93

Playing the ace gives declarer 10 easy tricks. Ducking gives the defense a chance. Declarer might still make it if he guesses right and manages an endplay, but it isn't easy and he might go wrong.

lead beats slam **

Nicer here in the Smoky Mountains than at home in the wine country where it is HOT! I've been walking, swimming, etc...

More from the 2-day Swiss... Match 3 brought us face to face with the only other local hometown team--bragging rights were at stake!

We (mainly yours truly) overbid on a hand and one of our opponents had enough strength and trumps to deliver a devastating double for minus 800. Ouch--the only "disaster" like this we suffered either day. Now, on the last board our opponents had a long tortured auction to arrive in 6H and it was my lead.

Qxx
97
K1087
J643

RHO had opened 1H and jump shifted in clubs. There was a lot of cuebidding before the final call of 6H. This lead was crucial. I finally tabled a heart. Here are all hands:

.....................Qxx
.....................97
.....................K1087
.....................J643

x........................................A10962
AQ106543.........................K8
A........................................Q652
Q1098................................A2

...................KJ87
...................J2
...................J943
...................K75

Although "deep finesse" indicated that 6H could be made, as you can see, it doesn't appear so. The heart lead, and a heart return by partner when he is in with his king of clubs, left declarer with a second club loser. Even if declarer runs the club 10, he still has a club loser with a second heart play.

Whew! This gain counterbalanced the earlier loss and we ended up winning the match by 1 imp.

See you at the table!