«The Defense» Part II

Contract: 3NT

Lead: 6

West lead the 6, dummy played the 3…

From this moment: What would be your plan of defense to defeat the contract?.

Solution:

«There is a basic principle for the defense to use as a guide through the darkness. This principle is the eternal questions: How I can defeat this contract? and What cards can my partner have to help me defeat this contract?.

This should be your goal no matter that sometimes the defense plan chosen finish delivering an overtrick. This should not bother us in the least except it is a doubled contract. «

In reality, and according to the usual practices, East in the first trick played the A, and returned the Q winning te second trick, and finally  played the 4, South won the third trick with the K. Declarer continued with the club finesse, that didn’t work and claimed nine tricks.

South made 3 spades tricks, one heart trick, one diamond trick and 4 clubs.

But if East would have abandoned the routine in this case, and instead of the A he would have played the Q, the declarant is in serious trouble.

Ir in trick number 1, South wins the Q with his K, and this is the most probable play; the contract is condemned in the act, when East wins with the Q, the defense can win 4 heart tricks.

East’s objective over his partners lead should be forcing South to take the first trick.  ¿How can East know that South has the K?

Remember the bidding, South opened the bidding with a 1NT bid (15 toa 17 HP), dummy has 11 and you in East other 11 and only 40HP in a deck of cards.

The four hands were:

9 5 3 J 9 7 6 2 J 8 3 7 6

8 7 4 2 A Q 4 K 10 9 Q 10 2

K J 10 K 10 5 A Q 6 4 K 8 4