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Unmakeable or Unbeatable?

The declarer took a long time to play a card to trick 1, longer than normal. Was it just that the auction had worn them out? It was a “battle of the minor suits” with clubs coming out on top! They had a problem…and you in the East seat? You had no problem in deciding what to play to trick 1. So, perhaps time to reflect about what the declarer was thinking?

In such a situation, it was time to take stock about what you know about declarer’s hand. That might help…

 

West led 8 which declarer won in dummy with the ace while you contributed an “I don’t really like 9”. Next came 8 from dummy. Are you planning the defence? I hope so….

So, what do you know about South’s shape? It looks like they have 7 clubs to bid the suit three times. They have four spades and no heart hold, confirmed by dummy’s holding in that suit. Their remaining two cards could well be hearts and from your partner’s lead, 8, it looks like one of them is the Q. It makes sense that declarer has no diamonds as they would immediately play their top two hearts to discard one.

Are you ready? If declarer played Q, you would cover…but were you ready for the rather unusual play of the 8? Maybe not. Take a little pause. Why this strange card? You know your partner has four spades and presumably an honour, or else declarer would simply lead Q. So, you followed suit…with?

At the table East played low….and an unmakeable contract was now unbeatable!

 

When East played low, so did South leaving West to win with J. What could West do? The answer was nothing.

There was no diamond trick for the defence. If West returned a trump, South could draw trumps, discard one spade on the third round of hearts and lose just two spade tricks.

Had West returned a heart, declarer will play A and ruff a spade and discard (if necessary..it was not) their other spade on the third round of hearts, losing just one spade and one trump. Finally, a similar situation occurs if West returns a spade.

“Unbeatable” because of East’s failure to insert the 10 at trick 2. If South was going to score a third-round ruff, it really did not matter which spade East played. Playing K would not be a great idea..but that 10 just might and indeed would have caused South problems…big enough ones that the contract could not make.

What was South up to?

South realised that they could lose one spade trick, maybe two if the Q was favourably placed. They could lead low towards Q and be successful every time West held K. Yet, if East did and there was a trump loser, then the contract must fail.

So, they played to keep East off lead and succeeded in doing so. Had 10 been played, South would have had to win their ace and play a second spade..and East would be in to switch to a trump.

Back to Trick 2

So, you may not have been prepared for that 8. You must have noticed two spades and one trump on the dummy. As declarer, maybe you would like to use that trump for ruffing? As a defender, therefore, is there anything you can do to stop them? There was…but not by following with your 3.

use it wisely.

It’s not that South did not give you any time to think about the hand!

Ugly and Uglier

 

 

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