DEFENSIVE PROBLEM #11

North dealer
Both sides vulnerable

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

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
—	—	1 ♣	1 ♠
2 ♦	Pass	2 ♥	Pass
2 NT	Pass	3 NT	Pass
Pass	Pass

West leads the spade seven; dummy plays the ten.

Plan your defense.

Solution

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

THIRD-HAND LOW. East should duck the first trick in the hope that West started with two spades and an entry. West must get on lead with his entry (the queen of clubs) and lead a spade before East's entry (the ace of clubs) is knocked out. This defense is sure to beat the contract, since South cannot get nine tricks without running the clubs. But if East wins the first trick and returns a spade, West will not have a spade to lead when in with the queen of clubs.

(Based on a deal and analysis from the 1963 National Intercollegiate Bridge Par-Deal Tournament by William S. Root and Lawrence Rosler.)

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