Sometimes it pays to be simple and follow the rules accordingly both in defence and in play. Today's illustration is a lesson in both. Let us give you the hand first as NS and see how you fare in the contract of 3NT bid as under on the following hand:
The opening lead is the 5 of hearts from west. Let us first see your chances when east turns up surprisingly with the QH, which is taken by your KH. Take it from there.
So west bid 3H on a 6 carder. With 4 club tricks, one diamond, one heart, if declarer can manage 3 spade tricks, it would be good enough, with the diamond finesse standing no chance to succeed.
The spades looked the best prospect. Naturally placing AS with east, you would like to play the first spade from dummy for which you win an entry in dummy with the club and lead a low spade.
East again surprisingly plays the 10S and on covering it with JS, declarer is stunned when west produces the spade ace. The dreaded diamond switch comes blazing with 8D. With the KD surely with east, you play AD and ponder on your chances as east signals with 7D. Now to establish a heart trick meant an entry with west who would shoot back a diamond to knock you out flat.
So you might as well cash your 3 remaining club winners ending in dummy. West discarding 2 small hearts and surprisingly AH too. This was a tempting defence to bait the declarer for a heart trick. But declarer cashed his remaining spades and on the spades not breaking, finished one down. Well let us now give you the west - east hands too. By the way did you fare better?
It was not an inspired defence that led the declarer down. It was a simple one from east who played his singleton queen, marking declarer with 4 hearts and therefore stopping west from leading any further heart. Then east's 10S on the first spade showing high low for a doubleton and again high how in clubs to show 4, showing he had 2 spades, one heart, 4 clubs and therefore 6 diamonds to the King. Had he not thrown 10S at the first spade, then on the declarer's KC, west would be forced to discard the 8H and on a low spade from hand and dummy declarer could saddle east with 10S end played in diamonds and squeezing partner as well on KD. JD would fare no better winning QD, in dummy, a heart lead to west's jack and ace. Would leave west straddled to give the spades or hearts for declarer to make the hand. So it was a simple signalling defence that broke the declarer or did it?
Let us quickly come to the inspiring play if you have not found it. Winning trick one, declarer must cash his 4 club winners first. He next lead 4S from hand. When dummy's KS holds, a second spade to west's ace who exits with 8 of diamonds. But now east is straddled with all diamonds and a low diamond sailing through to east's jack gives declarer the 2 diamond tricks he needs holding AQ tenace, simple? So it was after all simple for both in defence versus the play.
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North South
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K653 QJ4
76 K1094
AQ5 102
AQ75 KJ64
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The bidding:
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West North East South
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3H DBL P 3NT
All pass
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West East
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A982 107
AJ8582 Q
84 KJ9763
2 10963
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