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Tuesday, 09 February 2010 07:00 |
| S/All | ♠ | K Q 4 3 | | | | ♥ | K 6 | | ♦ | 7 6 4 3 | | ♣ | K 5 4 | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | ♠ | 6 2 | | | ♥ | A Q J 10 9 7 5 | | ♦ | A Q | | ♣ | 10 2 |
| West | North | East | South |
|---|
| - | - | - | 1♥ | | pass | 1♠ | pass | 3♥1 | | pass | 4♥ | pass | pass | | pass | | | |
1 A direct 4♥ rebid is an option West leads the ♣Q. How should South play?
Solution South counts four (possible) losers: the ♠A, two clubs (in view of the lead the ♣A is certainly with East) and a diamond (if the ♦K is with West). If West has the ♠A, South can pitch the ♦Q on North's second high spade. South can 'combine' his chances: he can make the contract if either the ♠A or the ♦K is favourably placed, provided he can investigate the position of the ♠A first. Only after the ♠A should turn out to be with East, would he risk the diamond finesse - as his second and last chance. He must therefore prevent - if possible - EW from forcing the diamond finesse upon him prematurely. This is the lay-out he has to concentrate on (if the ♦K is with East, declarer will always make his contract; if both the ♦K and the ♠A are wrong, he will always go down): | S/All | ♠ | K Q 4 3 | | | | ♥ | K 6 | | ♦ | 7 6 4 3 | | ♣ | K 5 4 | | ♠ | A 8 7 5
|  | ♠ | J 10 9 | | ♥ | 4 3 | ♥ | 8 2 | | ♦ | K 8 2 | ♦ | J 10 9 5 | | ♣ | Q J 9 8 | ♣ | A 7 6 3 | | | ♠ | 6 2 | | | ♥ | A Q J 10 9 7 5 | | ♦ | A Q | | ♣ | 10 2 |
It is imperative declarer ducks the lead in dummy to prevent East from gaining the lead in clubs. - If West continues with a small club the problems are over: South again ducks in dummy, East has to win with the ♣A (to prevent South making the ♣10) and declarer later discards the ♦Q on dummy's ♣K. - If West continues with the ♣J (better defence), declarer again ducks in dummy. He ruffs the next club (West has no choice) and at once plays a spade. If the ♠K wins the trick, he crosses to the ♥A and plays another spade. West will probably win with the ♠A and later declarer enters dummy with the ♥K and pitches the ♦Q on the ♠Q.
Why is it imperative for declarer not to cover the lead of the ♣Q with the ♣K? Because if he does cover, East wins with the ♣A and switches to a diamond, forcing declarer to finesse. This way declarer cannot profit from the favourable position of the ♠A. Why does declarer have to play a spade at once? Because if he draws trumps first and plays spades later, he will be locked in dummy since West will duck the first spade trick. |