Source ACBL Bulletins and Results
Defensive inferences: Who’s got what? Part II By Eddie Kantar
It’s important to pay attention at the bridge table, and you can sharpen your concentration skills by tackling the following problem situations.
1.
 Q J 10 9 |
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| K 8 4 2 |
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Hearts are trumps, dummy has shown a strong hand and neither you nor partner has bid. Early in the play South leads a low spade. Who has the ace and why?
In the following examples, East, your partner, is known from the bidding to have exactly four spades. Big tip: Partner cannot have the card directly beneath the one he or she has played.
2.
| Q 5 4 |
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| J 8 3 2 |
10 |
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| K |
You lead the 2, dummy plays the 4, partner the 10 and declarer the king. Place all the remaining spades. You can do it!
3.
| J 6 4 |
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| Q 9 3 2 |
K |
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| A |
You lead the 2, dummy plays the 4, partner the king and declarer the ace. Place all the remaining spades.
4.
| J 6 4 |
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| Q 9 3 2 |
A |
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| 8 |
You lead the 2, dummy plays the 4, partner the ace and declarer the 8. Place all the remaining spades.
5.
| J 6 4 |
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| K 10 7 2 |
9 |
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| A |
You lead the 2, dummy plays the 4, partner the 9, declarer the ace. Place all the remaining spades. In the next three diagrams, you have bid spades, and partner has supported you, showing three spades.
6.
| A 5 4 |
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| 10 8 7 3 2 |
Q |
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| 9 |
You lead the 3, dummy plays the 4, East the queen and South the 9. Place the remaining spades.
7.
| K 3 2 |
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| 8 7 6 5 4 |
10 |
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| Q |
You lead the 8, dummy the 2, East the 10, and South the queen. Place the remaining spades.
8.
| A J 10 3 2 |
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| 4 |
K 8 7 6 |
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| 5 |
Spades is a side suit in a trump contract. Declarer leads ♠A from dummy, you play the 6, declarer the 5, partner the 4. Next, South leads the 2 from dummy. Who has the queen, and why?
1. Partner must have the ace. If South had the ace, he would take a finesse starting the suit from dummy.
2. South must have K-9 doubleton. East’s 10 has denied the 9 and South is known to hold two spades.
3. South must have A-10 doubleton as East would play the 10 from K-10-x-x.
4. South must have the K-8 doubleton. Partner’s play of the ace has denied the king and South is known to hold two spades.
5. South has A-8 doubleton. East’s 9 has denied the 8 and declarer is known to hold only two spades.
6. South must have J-9 doubleton as the play of the queen has denied the jack and South is known to hold two spades.
7. South must have Q-9 doubleton as East’s play of the 10 has denied the nine and South is known to hold two spades.
8. Partner has the queen. If declarer had the queen, he would have led the queen to take a finesse. Wouldn’t you?