[inquiry]

Beginning Counting 101...

Dealer: West Vul: None Scoring: IMP

♠ T854 ♥ J72 ♦ AT8 ♣ Q52 ♠ AK76 ♥ 98 ♦ Q96 ♣ AK86

T1. ♥5-2-8-Q T2. ♦3-2-T-Q T3. ♠K-Q-9-4 T4. ♠A-♥6-♠3-5 T5. ♦4=5-A-6 T6. ♦8-9-J-K T7. ♥4-7-9-A T8. ♥K-2-J-♣6 T9. ♦7-♠2-♣2-♣8 T10. ♣4-3-5-K

West North East South

 1♥    Pass  2♥    Dbl
 3♥    Pass  Pass  Pass
 

You have played ten tricks, with only three tricks to go.

What do you know about the distribution.

1) How many hearts have declearer?
2) How many diamonds have declearer?
3) How many spades have declarer?
4) And finally, how many clubs does he have?

How should you defend based upon this knowledge....(PS, a gold star missed this one in a recent topflight event. Just goes to show you, we all make mistakes...some of us just more than others).

ben

[mr1303]

Declarer has 5 hearts, as partner has followed to 3 rounds. 1 spade as he ruffed the second round.

4 diamonds, as everyone has followed to 3 rounds. Therefore he has 1543 distribution.

The correct play is to force declarer with another spade. He is forced to ruff, and then play a club, which you win, and cash the last spade

[inquiry]

mr1303, on Apr 12 2004, 04:59 PM, said:

Declarer has 5 hearts, as partner has followed to 3 rounds. 1 spade as he ruffed the second round.

4 diamonds, as everyone has followed to 3 rounds. Therefore he has 1543 distribution.

The correct play is to force declarer with another spade. He is forced to ruff, and then play a club, which you win, and cash the last spade

Right you are on counting the hands, well done. However, when you count, count your partner's too. You made the "error" the gold star did (I know it is hard to follow who played what cards in that morass of 10 tricks or so). So like you, the Golden Boy won the club and continued with a ♠ to force declarer. But what of partner? He pitched a ♠ on trick 13th ♦, so when you return a ♠ after the first ♣. You will be "forced" to win the second ♣ and exit a ♠ to the dummy's now good ♠T.

The only defense to hold the day is to hope partner is clutching to the ♣J, so cash your second ♣ and then exit a ♠. Your partner's defense wasn't the best, but you can help him out here. The key to the problem is to avoid being endplayed to provide a steppingstone to the dummy's good ♠Ten

Ben