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What to throw away!

Sorry, what to discard?

When it comes to discarding, there is not one correct answer because we all have our preferred methods. While the method may not be universal, the intention is much more likely to be so.

Also, the fact that our declarer today did not take their best chance to make their contract does not detract from the fact you as a defender should be trying your hardest either to defeat the contract or at least save overtricks.

 

The bidding was natural with 2NT showing 12-14. 

As is so often the case, you do not seem to have got off to a great lead, 5 (leads 4^th highest etc) went to dummy’s jack, 7 from your partner (reverse count or attitude) and declarer’s ace. Next comes T from South which holds the trick. South plays a second club. Which card do you discard and why?

So, yours was no great overcall, especially vulnerable but a spade is probably (well, let’s say “possibly”) the suit you would like your partner to lead if they were on lead. Unless your partner is particularly strong, you are unlikely to end as declarer.

However, you bid and despite a raise from your partner, you were outbid and then made a none-too-great lead to 3NT. Declarer made the slightly unusual play of overtaking J in dummy with their ace. Did they have to or did they choose to win in their own hand?

It could be that South held AK doubleton and that your partner raised to 2 with 5- card support. That does seem a little timid as South does not seem to be hugely strong as they only bid 2NT (12-14). Assuming East was giving either reverse count or encouragement, they would certainly encourage with a 5-card suit. Was the S7 really from 98743?

There was an alternative and that was South had something to hide and that they did not want to win the trick in dummy. Whichever of these scenarios was true, would there be anything wrong in saying you held an honour in hearts? You never know…

 

South was not worried about spades but there was a potential problem in the other major.

No worries if the club finesse worked as 5 clubs along with two AKs would be 9 tricks. South was hopeful when T held but less hopeful when West discarded an “I have something useful in hearts, partner” 2. Since South had intentionally squashed their third spade trick by overtaking at trick 1, they needed 3 club tricks even if they could score 4 tricks in diamonds. Thus, East won their K and switched to a heart.

Which heart?

On the actual deal, it does not matter as the defence can take 4 heart tricks to go with the K. Say though West and South had three hearts (South holding Qxx), then, firstly West would need to ask for a heart by discarding a spade (say 6 saying they do not like spades: hearts then is the only logical switch), and then East must exit J. Whichever heart South plays, the defence must score four heart tricks.

Should South have overtaken that J? Had the club finesse worked, the answer would be “no” as they could score 9 tricks without losing the lead. However, when J holds and South plays a diamond to the ace and then T, East has the chance to find the heart switch.

One declarer found an ingenious way to score 9 tricks. They won J and then played A and a second club. Would you have as East have gone up with your K and found the heart switch? East ducked and T scored. West’s signal did not help the defence as South switched to diamonds, taking four tricks there via the finesse of Q, along with three tricks in spades and significantly, two in clubs.

Say the club finesse worked? Well, the pressure was then on West to find the heart switch. No joy for the defence this time.

Our declarer could have won the second round of clubs with the ace and gone for diamonds, too.

well, not “golden” opportunity but
declarer's best chance!

West did not know that when they had to find their discard at trick 3. With spades seemingly unlikely to produce quick tricks, it might just have been time to indicate that they had a heart honour, enabling their partner to play that suit if they were allowed to win K.

 

This should not happen!

Pre-empts, your pre-empts, are meant to make it hard for the opposition, not the pre-emptor!

 

Not this time! What to bid? Oh, a change of suit is forcing for one round, in case you wondered!

Richard Solomon

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