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Second but no third chance.

Now, Later or Never.

Following suit and waiting patiently for good things to happen works on some boards though not all the time. Sometimes, you have to make it happen to achieve a good result. Making it happen can mean doing the opposite of what you have been taught. 

 

 

1NT was 12-14 with 2 being a transfer to hearts. 3 was a “super-accept”, 4 hearts and game interest but needing help in clubs (3+ clubs) for game. 3 was a second transfer and North showed they had no interest in game by passing.

West led the top two clubs and with your encouragement continued with a 3^rd round, your Q collecting declarer’s J.

You choose Q exit which runs to K with your partner playing a rather discouraging 8. 3 is played from dummy. What now?

It would seem that South should have both missing aces and at least one of the top trumps you cannot see, maybe both. If they have both, then the only chance of a 5^th trick for the defence would seem to come from diamonds. So, perhaps the best and safest approach at trick 4 is to exit Q and await developments. The development rather suggested that there was not much joy in that suit for your side.

Time for a rethink?

The only time when it is correct to play J when 3 is led from dummy is when the declarer started with 5 hearts headed by the queen and rising with A will not be greeted terribly well by both defenders as your partner’s king comes crashing down! That is a possibility.

If your partner has Kx, there is no problem but can you imagine that perhaps your partner has Qx…and do you see what you have to do now?

 

 

At the table, East did not have to endure any nervy few seconds awaiting K being collected by their ace. They returned Q at trick 4 which left South with two certain heart losers, to go with three club tricks for down one.

Knowing when to give declarer a ruff and discard is hard for a defender. It is usually to be avoided but here it was the only way, well, nearly the only way, for the defence to score 5 tricks.

Left to his own devices, South would play a heart to the king and exit a heart to get some very good news. They might/ should even play two further rounds of spades (assuming a spade switch at trick 4) before exiting that second trump forcing West to either open up diamonds or concede a ruff and discard, yes, not a good one for the defenders. The only chance for the defence on passive defence is the JT in the South hand and that declarer will finesse the wrong way.

It might be putting all your eggs in one basket by playing the Q at trick 4 but when your diamond switch gets a negative response from partner, then at the slight risk of those eggs or the K splattering under your (f) ace) (apologies for the horrible mixed metaphor!), finding the killing defence should be possible. Did you?

The egg…and the defence survived!

How ambitious are you?

Two situations here.

 

Your partner opens a 12-14 1NT.

You elect to transfer to spades (2). What now when:

a.    Your partner bids 2.

b.    Your partner super-accepts with 3 (4 trumps, maximum points).

Richard Solomon

 

 

 

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