TEST YOUR DEFENSE
Test Your Defense is an advanced defensive play quiz based on problems selected from a wide variety of contexts.
Matchpoints
East dealer
North-South vulnerable
| NORTH (dummy) ♠ K 10 9 3 2 ♥ 9 7 4 3 ♦ Q 9 8 7 ♣ — |
||
| WEST (you) ♠ J 8 6 ♥ 2 ♦ A K J 5 4 2 ♣ K Q 6 |
| SOUTH | WEST | NORTH | EAST |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | 1 ♣ |
| 2 ♥ | 3 ♦ | 4 ♥ | Double |
| Pass | Pass | Pass |
Heart deuce, three, king, ace.
Club nine, ?
Plan your defense.
Solution
| NORTH ♠ K 10 9 3 2 ♥ 9 7 4 3 ♦ Q 9 8 7 ♣ — |
||
| WEST ♠ J 8 6 ♥ 2 ♦ A K J 5 4 2 ♣ K Q 6 |
EAST ♠ A Q 7 5 ♥ K J ♦ 10 3 ♣ A 8 5 3 2 | |
| SOUTH ♠ 4 ♥ A Q 10 8 6 5 ♦ 6 ♣ J 10 9 7 4 |
Partner won't turn up with eight clubs, so if declarer has seven hearts (unlikely on East's double), he has 10 tricks. Assume only a six-card heart suit. You can reasonably hope that South has no quick reentry, so East will be able to gain the lead to play a second round of hearts, limiting dummy to two ruffs. In that case, declarer can afford to lose one round of clubs to a high card—don't allow him to drive out one from partner's hand when yours will drop anyway on the two future ruffs in dummy.
Play a royal at trick two (and stand ready to cover a middle club later), which will protect partner's club holding in a layout such as the one shown in the diagram.
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