[mtvesuvius]

This is a defensive problem that I got wrong, it seems like a fairly elementary situation once you've seen it...

Partner leads the ♣8, and declarer plays the Jack. What is your defensive plan to beat this contract? The scoring is IMPs. What would be your defense at MPs?

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[l milne]

Hi there. Would be good to have some idea of what methods are in play here, so I don't have to think as much
Was 3♦ GF? invitational? weak/to play?
Do you lead 3rd from 3 small or the top? 3/5 or 4th from length?

Anyway:

Spoiler

Assuming partner is leading from only small cards, I can see ducking the club. This seems to only gain when declarer has 1-loser diamonds and ♣QTx, where we force him to take his club entry now before the diamonds are established. If partner is leading from ♣874, with declarer having ♣QT, it doesn't seem to matter what I do, as long as I don't win the king and switch. Hopefully the full hand is something like:

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Even here, declarer has clearly misplayed the hand. Ace of clubs at trick 1 followed by a diamond guarantees many tricks. Also, even if I duck, declarer can still make it by overtaking, hooking up hearts then endplaying North. So, back to the drawing board I guess.

I do suppose that ducking can never really cost (unless partner is leading from QT8(x)), and it might gain, but it's hard to see how

[ewleongusa]

mtvesuvius, on 2010-December-08, 21:54, said:

This is a defensive problem that I got wrong, it seems like a fairly elementary situation once you've seen it...

Partner leads the ♣8, and declarer plays the Jack. What is your defensive plan to beat this contract? The scoring is IMPs. What would be your defense at MPs?

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I would play declarer for something like: S xxx H xx D KQJ10x C Q10x.
So I would duck the club king but play the encouraging nine of clubs.
If declarer leads a diamond or plays two top hearts partner will win and then return a club.
Now declarer has at most eight tricks.

Eric Leong