Answer to

Hand of the week commencing Sunday 6th August 2006  

You lead your singleton Diamond and partner wins the Ace and switches to the §

declarer contributing the King,  Plan your defence

 

 

 

ª

A 10 6

 

 

 

Dealer North

©

 K Q J 3

 

 

 

Love All

¨

10 5

 

 

 

 

§

 J 10 8 5

 

 

 

 

 

N

 

 

ª

Q J 9 7

 

 

ª

 

©

6 5

 

W                          E

©

 

¨

3

 

 

¨

 A

§

A Q 9 6 3  2

 

 

§

 4

 

 

 

S

 

 

 

 

ª

 

 

 

 

 

©

 

 

 

 

 

¨

 

 

 

 

 

§

 

 

 

 

N

E

S

W

NO

NO

1¨

3§

DBL

NO

3©

NO

4©

NO

NO

NO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After winning the second trick with your Club Ace it would be very tempting to cash the Queen but if you did this, this could in fact be your last defensive trick. In order to break the contract you will have to conjure up a 4th defensive trick.  Partner was keen to play back a Club through declarer, rather than give you an immediate Diamond ruff, so partner is marked with a singleton Club. Your fourth trick will have to come from you ruffing a club. How are you going to persuade partner to win the third trick, if you play back the Club Queen. The answer is that you make “Life easy for partner” by playing a low club back at trick three for him to ruff and now he will wake up and give you a Diamond ruff to defeat the contract by one. Any other defence and declarer will easily get 10 or 11 tricks.

 

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