DEFENSIVE PROBLEM #6

East dealer
East-West vulnerable

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

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
—	—	—	Pass
1 ♣	Pass	1 ♦	Pass
1 ♠	Pass	3 ♠	Pass
4 ♠	Pass	Pass	Pass

West leads the nine of diamonds.

Plan your defense.

Solution

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

FIRST THINGS FIRST. East should win the diamond lead and lead a heart at trick two. (It is essential to establish a heart trick for the defense before giving partner a diamond ruff. If East instead gives West a ruff at trick two, declarer can avoid the loss of a heart trick.) This line of defense will net four tricks--ace of spades, ace of diamonds, king of hearts and a diamond ruff.

Delaying the diamond ruff cannot lose, since West is marked with two spades: The nine-of-diamonds lead places the queen-jack-ten of diamonds in declarer's hand, and South would not have enough high cards for an opening bid unless he held a heart honor; with a maximum of nine black cards, South would not open the bidding with one club if he held five spades.

(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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