Answer to

Hand of the week commencing Sunday 26th August 2007  

 

 

Dealer South

ª

Q 10 6 5 4 2

 

 

 

Both Vul

©

Q 2

 

 

 

 

¨

K 4 2

 

 

 

 

§

K 6

 

 

 

 

 

N

 

 

ª

J 8

 

 

ª

 K 7

©

5 3

 

W                          E

©

 10 6

¨

A 10 7 3

 

 

¨

J 9 8 6 5

§

Q 9 8 7 2

 

 

§

A J 4 3

 

 

 

S

 

 

 

 

ª

 A 9 3

 

 

 

 

©

A K J  9 8 7 4

 

 

 

 

¨

Q

 

 

 

 

§

 10 5

 

 

W

N

E

S

 

 

 

 

1©

 

NO

1ª

NO

4©

 

NO

NO

NO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You lead ¨A plan your defence.

After an active auction you have decided on active defence and led your Diamond Ace. Now that you can see dummy, you should be able to work out what to do next. The bidding suggests that declarer has a self sufficient heart suit and a semi fit in Spades. Seeing all the Spades on table you foresee that any losers, that declarer does have, will be dispatched on that suit. So all that’s left is tricks from the Club suit and it is imperative to switch to Clubs at trick 2. You can lead your 4th highest  the 7, and hope partner recognizes it as 4th highest or you can make it nice and simple for him by switching to the §2 (to show your honour). This switch enables the defence to quickly obtain 3 tricks (2 Clubs and the Diamond Ace) and the Spade King will be won later in the hand. Any other defence and declarer will easily get 10 tricks.