[plaur]

Scoring: MP

p - p - 1♠ - X
p - 2♦ - p - 2♥
p - 3♥ - 4♥

lead ♠6 (Middle Up Down)

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You have agreed to Middle Up Down so you lead ♠6, partner covers the T with J that wins and returns ♠A. Then he shifts to ♣A and at trick four he leads the ♠K
♠6 ♠T ♠J ♠5
♠A ♠7 ♠8 ♠2
♣A ♣3 ♣9 ♣6 (♣9 is discouraging)
♠K ♥3 ♠4 ♠Q

What was the defensive error?

[matmat]

i am not sure what p thinks he's doing cashing the club ace, unless it is singleton and hopes that you are ruffing the third spade, but p should know that you are not from you not echoing high-low in spades. i don't really see where the 4th trick is coming from. if p has ♣K, then he should have led that instead of the ace. if p has the ♦K then this is probably going down anyway. so there is a chance p has a high heart, but then this is going down anyway as it meshes well with our JTx... i guess if declarer needs to take two finesses and might only have one quick entry to dummy cashing the club ace likely cost a trick...

[jdonn]

The "error" was in not falsecarding low on the second spade, to trick declarer into ruffing the third spade high (he would fear that you had a doubleton and could overruff him if he ruffed low.) You might convince declarer to ruff high if he has AKQxxx of hearts, thinking it's his only chance.

Partner cashing the club ace is a red herring.

[gwnn]

jdonn, on Oct 20 2007, 10:09 PM, said:

The "error" was in not falsecarding low on the second spade, to trick declarer into ruffing the third spade high (he would fear that you had a doubleton and could overruff him if he ruffed low.) You might convince declarer to ruff high if he has AKQxxx of hearts, thinking it's his only chance.

Partner cashing the club ace is a red herring.

hidden advantages of MUD?

[jdonn]

gwnn, on Oct 20 2007, 03:14 PM, said:

hidden advantages of MUD?

Well MUD is generally frowned upon because it's too hard for partner to figure out what you have. But sure there are times like this where it becomes an advantage because declarer can't figure it out either