DEFENSIVE PROBLEM #14

North dealer
North-South vulnerable

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

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
—	—	Pass	Pass
1 ♠	2 ♥	Pass	3 ♥
3 ♠	Pass	Pass	Pass

West leads the heart king.

Plan your defense.

Solution

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

PRESERVE YOUR HONOR. East should overtake the first trick with his ace of hearts, so he can lead a trump through declarer and thus cut down dummy's ruffing power while doing at little damage as possible to the defenvisve trump holding. By leading the three instead of the jack, East makes it possible for West to draw two trumps from dummy without sacrificing a second defensive spade trick.

(Based on a deal and analysis from the 1964 National Industrial Recreation Association Bridge Par-Deal Tournament by William S. Root and Lawrence Rosler.)

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