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Tricky Trick 3.

It’s time to defend and it’s time to be careful. You have taken two tricks, half the number you need to defeat their game contract. It’s time, perhaps, to get off lead, but how?

 

3 shows 10-11 hcp, flattish hand and 3 card spade support (not necessarily a heart suit). South's opening bid promised at least a five- card spade suit.

Despite never getting to mention your diamond suit, you partner leads 10 against South’s 4 contract. Declarer plays 4 from dummy on trick 1 and J from hand. On trick 2, you cash A, 3 from declarer and 9 from your partner. And so to trick 3? Your play?   

Four suits from which to choose

There is only one diamond you cannot see and that is 8. Why would the declarer squander J at trick one and keep the 8 when they did not hold 9. Discarding a winner to keep a potential loser, even if it can be ruffed in dummy makes no sense. With no bidding from East-West, South would have no reason to fear a ruff. Therefore, it seems logical that West has the remaining diamond. Holding T98, they would play the 9 on the second round.

And then there were three

Therefore, we do not particularly want to give South a ruff and discard at trick 3. So, what are our other choices? A club will be right if our partner holds the A but otherwise seems very dangerous. Although stranger things have happened, with 23 hcp visible in the North-East hands, it seems unlikely that South would have jumped to game on a 13 count. One cannot eliminate the possibility totally, but the odds seem in favour of South holding A.

And then there were two

Hearts or spades? A heart may be totally safe if South holds AQ but otherwise seems to open up the suit for declarer’s benefit. It may be a better choice than a club but will it beat the contract? The answer, and indeed the answer for all the suggestions mentioned above is “no” : contract made.

Here are the 4 hands:

 

At the table, many East players played a third round of diamonds which enabled South to discard their club loser, ruff in dummy and take the successful trump finesse, thus just losing one heart trick but making their contract.

There were a couple of club switches with South having little choice but to play East for the K, after which play proceeded as above…10 tricks to South.

Life was not so straightforward at the table East switched to 6. With an almost certain club loser to go with the two diamond tricks already lost, South had to play both major suits for no losers. Thus, unless QJ were doubleton, South needed an entry to dummy after taking a successful trump finesse.

So, South needed the K to be doubleton, or even shorter in the East hand. Q forced K and declarer played a low spade from dummy. Up went K to the ace to be followed by two more rounds of spades finishing in dummy and then a successful heart finesse to be followed by the drawing of the last trump and again for 10 tricks to the declarer.

And then there was one suit..

and only one card in that suit, K. Say West held Jxx. How would South draw trumps? Perhaps by laying down the ace. If that were true, then exiting with one’s sole trump might not be as outlandish after all. The heart exit was a reasonable attempt by East but proved not good enough. However, there would be no chance for South after that spade switch, with there being a certain heart and club loser. I say “would” because no-one found that switch. Did you?

The 5-3 or the 4-4 fit?

It was interesting that most who played the board played in their 5-3 spade fit rather than their 4-4 heart fit. However, after the sequence 1-2, it would have been South who would bid hearts first, unless perhaps if East did get to call 2 and South made a negative double...good choice!. If only North could get to be the declarer in 4, East has a very unpalatable choice of opening leads with only K being safe, for a short while. Three rounds of trumps would leave East with a choice of minor suits to lead and the contract would have been secure. Even 3NT by North makes on any lead, even K!

A lost king..but here
not in a lost cause!

However, against 4, the East players had the chance to shine but all failed. Was the trick 3 switch so “tricky”?

Jan’s Day: “The experienced way”

 

You reach your slam (well, egged on more than a little by your partner!). The opposition are silent with West leading 4 to East’s ace. East returns 6 which you win in dummy. For something to do at trick 3, you play your winning Q discarding a spade from your hand. East also discards a spade. Plan the play.

(shhh.. don't tell anyone else but we believe each defender has three hearts and neither defender has less than two spades)

Richard Solomon

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