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A “Maybe” Trick.

Today’s deal offers a number of instructive points about play and defence, perhaps in bidding, too. For now, we will watch the deal from the West seat.

 

South showed a strong hand for their 2 bid, a “reverse”, 16+ hcp. While 1 could have been as short as three cards initially, by bidding 2, South had shown at least five clubs, longer than their diamond length. South asked for key cards over their partner’s heart jump. North showed 0 or 3 with their 5 response and South ended the auction in 6NT. They just had to have three!

As West, you chose a slightly unusual lead, 6. J looks a sound safe looking lead from the West hand and should have spelt the contract's defeat. However, the problem you will soon face would be the same whichever black suit you led.

K won trick 1 with your partner playing 8 and South 2. Next came a heart to South’s K and a small diamond to dummy’s ace. Declarer then played A from dummy and discarded 3 from their hand, before playing dummy’s low diamond and  playing K, then Q, and then J from their own hand.

You, West had only 2 diamonds originally. Which two cards do you discard on the Q and J?

The clues as to what you should discard were in both the bidding and in the play so far. It was easy enough for West to discard their remaining heart but the second discard would prove crucial. West could see no value in their tiny clubs and discarded one. These were the four hands:

 

Declarer had one spade, two heart and four diamond tricks. They needed five club tricks and as long as the suit broke 4-3 in their opponents’ hands, they would make their contract. By discarding a seemingly worthless club, West allowed South to make their contract.

Remember the bidding... a couple of minutes' ago?

How did West know to keep all their clubs? The answer was in the bidding. South had shown at least five clubs. If South had six clubs, then West would not make a trick. Yet, if they had only 5, then that 9 could be crucial and indeed was.

Note that West did not totally misdefend. Had they led 9 at trick 1 (top of nothing), South would have made 12 tricks. Sometimes, when you have a longish suit without a sequence and it is headed by the 9 or 10, that top card can be very important. It is better to lead a lower card as West did.

South did well in the play to cash their solid four card diamond suit before testing clubs. Sometimes, in discarding, you get a defensive error as happened here.

Embarrassed…West or South?

Yet, have you noticed how South could/should have saved West’s blushes? After an initial club lead, the contract was cold! At trick 2, play a heart to the king and then a diamond to the ace. However, rather than play A, they should give up the lead with a small heart. (South can only ever make 12 tricks when suits break. So, why not give up a trick then and give yourself an extra chance of success?)

East will win and play K. Declarer wins in dummy and then plays A. When both defenders follow, dummy’s remaining hearts would all be tricks and the contract makes in comfort. Playing the low heart first was critical as it prevents a defender taking 2 heart tricks should that suit break badly. If there is a bad heart break, then South can return to the club suit and still hope to make 12 tricks.

So, not the best defence nor declarer play. South’s bidding was questionable as well. With their singleton king in their partner’s suit, the 2 bid was fine. They had an awkward bid after the 1 call and without a spade hold, 2 was the best of a unsatisfactory collection.

However, even though their partner had shown a long heart suit with the jump to 3, they should have satisfied themselves either by bidding 4 or using 4^th suit forcing 3 looking for a spade stop for 3NT. Leave it to partner to look for slam. They were somewhat fortunate to get a 3 ace response to Blackwood and that North held K as well.

Despite their questionable bidding and play, South ended the board on a happy note. Meanwhile, West might think again on their opening lead but more so on the bidding before they discard.

Richard Solomon

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