[Winstonm]

Scoring: IMP

You pick up this miserable collection and hear this auction:
1D-P-1H-1S
2N-P-3N-P
P-P

Opponents bidding shows standard 18-19 and balanced distribution. You lead the 9 of spades to the 2, 10, 4. Partner continues with the Q, 5, and your 5 of clubs. The K of spades is won by declarer's ace while you shed a small diamond. Declarer thinks for a while and plays the King of hearts, 3, 2, 8. Declarer continues with the Q of hearts. How do you defend and why?

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[whereagles]

Declarer seems to be 4243 or 3343 (with 3244 pard might have bid 2S), so for the moment I follow suit and later I guess I discard clubs.

If pard is the sort of person who likes to bid a mere 1S on a solid 6-carder, I'd have a bit of a problem, but I guess I'll wait and see what pard discards and take it from there.

[Free]

I don't see the use in falsecarding here... Small ♥.

[Fluffy]

I don't see it either, ♥J could work if declarer has ♥KQx and is greed for an extra entrry, but I Don't see how an entrty will help him, if it is not needed now.

[Winstonm]

If declarer holds both minor aces and the KQx of hearts then there is nothing that can be done; however, partner's plays at tricks 1 and 2 suggest a diamond holding. If it is the ace, then declarer must hold, Axx, KQx, Q(J)xx, AQJ. Left to his own devices, he will run the hearts and take the club finesse, then lay down the ace. As we know, this will work. But declarer doesn't know it will work.

Declarer plays the king of hearts, then the Q. If we drop the J of hearts under this card declarer may believe the hearts are 3/2, giving him his second entry by way of the 10 of hearts for two club finesses. So he overtakes the Q with the Ace and partner shows out. Goodbye hearts. Goodbye contract.

[beatrix45]

Winstonm, on May 14 2005, 09:28 AM, said:

Declarer plays the king of hearts, then the Q.  If we drop the J of hearts under this card declarer may believe the hearts are 3/2, giving him his second entry by way of the 10 of hearts for two club finesses.  So he overtakes the Q with the Ace and partner shows out.  Goodbye hearts.  Goodbye contract.

At my table declarer had the KQ doubleton of ♥ and the A of ♦.

[Winstonm]

[QUOTE]At my table declarer had the KQ doubleton of ♥ and the A of ♦.


If partner holds the A or KQ of clubs, he would return the J of spades.

Actually, I wrote this incorrectly as partner should return the K of spades to show the diamond entry. Now, knowing declarer does not hold the diamond ace, the play of the J of hearts becomes easier...unless declarer holds Axx, KQ, xxxx, AKQJ...in which case you get egg on your face; however, pard should not be giving heart count here, so the 8 should be a true card, leaving declarer with KQ7.