DEFENSIVE PROBLEM #4
East dealer
Both sides vulnerable
| NORTH (dummy) ♠ Q J ♥ K Q 6 ♦ A Q J 8 7 2 ♣ 10 8 |
||
| EAST (you) ♠ A 4 ♥ J 10 ♦ 9 4 3 ♣ A K J 7 6 5 |
| SOUTH | WEST | NORTH | EAST |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | 1 ♣ |
| 1 ♠ | Pass | 2 ♣ | Pass |
| 2 ♥ | Pass | 3 ♦ | Pass |
| 3 ♠ | Pass | 4 ♠ | Pass |
| Pass | Pass |
West leads the four of clubs.
Plan your defense.
Solution
| NORTH ♠ Q J ♥ K Q 6 ♦ A Q J 8 7 2 ♣ 10 8 |
||
| WEST ♠ 10 3 2 ♥ 9 5 4 2 ♦ 10 6 5 ♣ Q 9 4 |
EAST ♠ A 4 ♥ J 10 ♦ 9 4 3 ♣ A K J 7 6 5 | |
| SOUTH ♠ K 9 8 7 6 5 ♥ A 8 7 3 ♦ K ♣ 3 2 |
PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF. East should cash two club tricks, and then try to figure a way to help his partner take a trick (which would defeat the contract). The bidding should have made it clear that West cannot have the ace of hearts, and consequently cannot win any tricks in hearts or diamonds. The only hope is that West has a possible spade trick: 10-x-x or 9-x-x-x. By leading a club at trick three (the sluff-ruff cannot possibly help declarer since he has no losers in the side suits), and holding up with the ace of spades until the second spade is played from dummy, East can then promote a trump trick for West by leading a fourth club.
It would be inferior defense for East to lead a diamond in the hope that his partner had a singleton or a void; it is impractical to assume that South would have bid as he did with three or four diamonds. Also, Wert would probably have led a diamond if he had a singleton.
(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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