DEFENSIVE PROBLEM #2

North dealer
Both sides vulnerable

	NORTH (dummy) ♠ K 8 ♥ K 6 2 ♦ J 10 6 4 2 ♣ A 10 7
WEST (you) ♠ Q J ♥ J 10 8 3 ♦ Q 9 5 ♣ J 9 5 2

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
—	—	Pass	Pass
1 ♦	Pass	3 ♦	Pass
6 ♦	Pass	Pass	Pass

Heart jack, deuce, four, ace.
Diamond ace, five, deuce, spade deuce.
Diamond king, nine, four, spade three.
Spade ace, jack, eight, four.
Spade ten, queen, king, five.
Heart king, five, seven, three.
Heart six, nine, queen, eight.
Diamond three, queen, six, spade six.

What do you play now?

Solution

	NORTH ♠ K 8 ♥ K 6 2 ♦ J 10 6 4 2 ♣ A 10 7
WEST ♠ Q J ♥ J 10 8 3 ♦ Q 9 5 ♣ J 9 5 2		EAST ♠ 9 7 6 5 4 3 2 ♥ 9 5 4 ♦ — ♣ Q 4 3
	SOUTH ♠ A 10 ♥ A Q 7 ♦ A K 8 7 3 ♣ K 8 6

GUARD THE QUEEN. The declarer cannot make the contract if West leads the jack of clubs when on lead with the queen of diamonds. This play is clearly indicated after analyzing declarer's possible club holdings. The concealed club holding must be something like Q-x, Q-x-x, K-x-x, or K-8-x; otherwise, declarer would have the rest of the tricks. Any club lead beats the slam if South has one of the first three holdings. The criticial case is K-8-x, against which the jack of clubs is the only lead that will surely succeed.

(Based on a deal and analysis from the 1963 National Industrial Recreation Association Par-Hand Bridge Tournament by William S. Root and Lawrence Rosler.)

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