Thinking Bridge: Seattle NABC 3rd Day

West  North  Este   South

                                       1
2      3    Pass     4

The end

Opening lead: A

Bidding commentary: As North, your 3 cuebid, showing a limit raise in spades or better, assumes that a jump to 3 in competition is preemptive. Most players now play that any jump raise in competition is preemptive. Partner assumes
a limit raise for the time being. As South, if you would have accepted a limit raise (you would), bid 4 over 3. If you wouldn’t have accepted a limit raise, sign off at 3.

Defensive commentary: As East, start a highlow with the J at trick one. As West, the J shows a singleton or doubleton. Continue with the K. As it happens, the J was from a doubleton and now the Q in dummy is an established winner. In order to kill the Q before trumps are drawn, lead a third heart. East ruffs the third heart with the 9.

Play commentary: As South, do not overruff  the 9! It is safer to discard your inevitable diamond loser. If East has ruffed with the singleton 9 (possible) and you overruff, you will wind up losing a trump trick to West — a trick you do not
have to lose. Worse, you will go down, losing two hearts, a spade and a diamond. However, if you discard a diamond at trick three, you take the next 10 tricks. Making four. As a defender, when you have established a trick in dummy upon which declarer, now void in the suit, can take a discard (Q) and partner is also void in the suit, lead the suit while partner still has a trump to play to kill the discard. As declarer, if faced with the choice of overruffing a spot card with an honor card (the 9 with the Q) that may weaken your trump holding, discard a sure loser instead if you have one.