week commencing Sunday 20th August 2006
You lead 4th Highest ª6 . Partner plays the Queen and declarer wins.
Declarer
then switches to the ©J
at trick two plan your defence.
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9 5
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Dealer
East |
© |
K
7 6 |
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Vul |
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9
5 |
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A
J 10 7 6 5 |
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N |
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K
10 7 6 2
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Q
8 4 |
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A
9 8 |
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E |
© |
10
5 4 3 |
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3
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A
Q 10 8 6 |
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9
8 2 |
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3 |
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A
J 3 |
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Q
J 2 |
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K
J 7 4 |
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K
Q 4 |
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NB
1NT is strong 15-17
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E |
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NO |
1NT |
NO |
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3NT |
NO |
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If you are not on your mettle you could let this contract slip through at trick two or trick three. Declarer is trying to outfox you and his best chance lies very early on before you and your partner can get any signaling into operation. You must ask yourself why hasn’t declarer gone straight for his sturdy club suit on show in dummy. The reason he has left this suit alone is that he is confident that the suit is going to produce 6 tricks and that the play of the Heart suit is so that he can build tricks in that suit too. You duck the first Heart and declarer plays another Heart. Now if you decide to duck the second Heart declarer now has 9 tricks in the bag (1 spade, 2 Hearts and 6 Clubs). So you take the second Heart and your finger is on the Spade king. However, partner played the Spade queen at trick one thereby denying the Jack. This means declarer has the Jack and a second stopper in the suit. So playing the Spade king will not produce enough defensive tricks. Active defence is called for and a Diamond switch is mandatory. Partner turns up with the Ace and fires back the spade and now you realize 6 defensive tricks – 4 Spades, 1 Heart and 1 Diamond. When you see that declarer has a running suit think ACTIVE DEFENCE !!