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Going against the grain.

We know what happens, in a no-trump contract, when we do not duck an opponent’s lead of a danger suit. The defence regains the lead and runs winners when playing low at trick one would have cut communications.

So, what do we do here?

 

1 promised at least a five card suit and 1NT showed 12-14. North’s major holdings convinced them to go for game when they might have invited, and on this occasion, South would have declared 2NT.

West led 4 (2nds and 4ths from length). What to do?

South decided to duck the first round of diamonds with East’s J winning the trick. South’s A won trick 2 and declarer played a heart to the Q which won the trick.K won trick three but East’s A took the next trick and South spent the rest of the play unsuccessfully trying to get back to their hand until the defence had 5 tricks. These were the four hands:

 

 

A third diamond to K was followed by Q which was ducked and West won A over South’s K on the next round. West took their two diamond tricks and exited a spade to dummy. Declarer took two spade tricks in dummy but had to give the defence their fifth trick, a club at trick 13.

South was unlucky that A was with West but they missed an important clue at trick 1. With 4 appearing to be 4^th highest, declarer could concede two diamond tricks and 2 major suit aces and still make their contract. Of course, West might have led from three to an honour but the signs were that they only had four diamonds. With no certain entry to the South hand outside diamonds, they would have succeeded had they taken K at trick 1, preserving A as the entry.

After playing two rounds of hearts, East plays a second diamond. South can cash their remaining heart tricks and exit a spade. The defence can only cash two diamonds and two aces.

So, ducking is all very well but on this deal, there was a good reason not to give the opponents the first trick, the difference between success and one down. 

Richard Solomon

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