DEFENSIVE PROBLEM #12

South dealer
Neither side vulnerable

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

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
Pass	Pass	1 ♣	Pass
1 ♥	Pass	4 ♥	Pass
Pass	Pass

Spade four, king, three, nine.
Heart deuce, nine, king, five.
Heart three, spade deuce, ace, ten.
Club ace, deuce, four, three.
Club king, seven, queen, five.
Club jack, ?

Plan your defense.

Solution

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

NOW OR NEVER. The only hope for the defense is to cash three diamond tricks before declarer can discard another diamond on the fourth club lead. Therefore, East must ruff the third round of clubs and lead a low diamond to avoid blocking the suit for the defense. West must cooperate by winning the first round of diamonds with the ace, another unblock, and then returning the suit.

(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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