Test Your Defense

1-10  |  11-20  |  21-30  | 31-40  |  41-50  |  51-60  |  61-70  |  71-80 
   

#71  

Dlr: East

Vul: East-West

Matchpoints                            North (dummy)

                                               S. AQ97

                                               H. KJ1076

                                               D. Q5

                                               C. 63          

                                                                 East (you)  

                                                                  S. 10

                                                                  H. A4

                                                                  D. AKJ96

                                                                  C. K9875

East   South   West  North

1D      Pass     2C      Dbl.

3S*    Dbl.       5C     Pass

6C      6H        Dbl.   (All Pass)

* Splinter

Opening lead:  D7      Dummy plays low.  Plan your defense.

Solution: The idea is to get a spade ruff and there are two possible ways of getting partner in after you win the HA.  (1) with a club; (2) with a diamond ruff if partner has led a singleton.  In order to give yourself two chances, win the diamond ACE and shift to the S10 at trick BEFORE cashing a second diamond. Assume South wins and leads a heart to the ten and ace.  Now play the DK.  If partner follows, lead a club. If partner has led a singleton diamond and notices the way you are playing your diamonds in an alarm clock fashion. partner will trump the DK and lead a spade. Down 3. 

The West hand:  S. J432   H. Q5  D. 7  C. AQJ1042

The South hand: S. K865  H. 9832  D. 108432

 #72  

Dlr: South

Vul: Both

IMPs

                         North  (dummy)

                         S. 9876

                         H. Q6 

                         D. AKJ10

                         C. A65 

                                            East (you)

                                            S. KQJ3

                                            H. A109832

                                            D. 84

                                            C. 3

South   West   North   East

1C        Pass   1D        1H

1S        Pass   4S         (All Pass)

Opening lead H4     You win the HA, declarer drops the king and return the H10 to the 7, jack and queen.  Dummy leads the S9.

1.  Which spade do you play if playing against a weak declarer?

2.  Which spade do you play if playing against a strong declarer? 

Solution:  You've got to learn to ignore my silly trick questions!  It doesn't matter how good or how bad the declarer is, you have the hand beaten if you split your spades honors.

no matter that declarer is solid in both minors. 

If declarer wins, partner following low, and plays a another spade, you win and play a heart forcing one hand or the other to trump.  Declarer dare not play another spade with two spades in one hand and one in the other while you have K3 left. You will win and play another heart forcing declarer to use his last trump.  Now you can trump the second club, and your two remaining hearts are high. If declarer stops drawing trump, you can trump the second club and defeat the contract. 

If declarer ducks your spade honor play at trick two, play a heart. Say declarer ruffs in dummy and discards a club. When a second spade is led from dummy, split your honors again. If declarer ducks, play another heart establishing an extra spade trick for yourself no matter where declarer trumps.   The bottom line is that there is no way declarer can make this hand if you split your spade honors each time the suit is led and play a heart each time you have the lead. 

The West hand:  S. 4    H. J54   D. 97532  C. 10872

The East hand:   S. A1065  H. K7  D. Q6  C. KQJ94

#73  

YOUR BEST SHOT?

Dlr: East

Vul: N-S

Matchpoints

                             North (dummy)

                             S. QJ

                             H. QJ93

                             D. AJ97

                             C. A94

West (you)

S. K9863

H. A102

D. KQ4

C. 83

East   South   West   North

Pass  Pass     1S       Dbl.

2S     3C         All Pass

Opening lead:  S6

Partner wins the SA and returns the S2 to your king. Now what?

Solution:

This one isn't 100% clear.  (What is?)  For example if partner has either missing king, you have the hand defeated off the top if you establish one diamond trick foryourself by leading the king. However, if partner does have a king, South doesn't have very much for his vulnerable 3C bid and partner, with four spades and a side suit king, 'might' have competed to 3S.

However, if declarer has the likely missing kings, best defense is to lead a LOW diamond and hope declarer has xxx and inserts the 9. Partner wins the 10 and returns a diamond building up a second diamond winner before the HA can be driven out.

The East hand:      S. A1052  H. 764  D. 1083  C. J72

The South hand:    S. 74  H. K86  D. 652    C. KQ1065