[awm]

Scoring: IMP

---

After two passes, you make the somewhat dubious decision to preempt with 2♦. LHO overcalls 2♥, partner raises to 3♦, RHO bids 3♥ and LHO goes to game. So the auction:

PA - PA - 2♦ - 2♥
3♦ - 3♥ - PA - 4♥
All Pass

Partner leads the ♦Q. What is your plan? If you encourage, assume partner continues a small diamond to your king.

[Phil]

Would have ducked T1.

A spade only really hurts when declarer has something like KJxx AQJxx xx xx or AJxx AQJxx xx xx and these seem like longshots. More likely declarer has something like Kx AQJxxx xx Kxx.

[sathyab]

To have a chance at all we need partner to have the ♣J and declarer to have two potential spade losers. If we don't switch to a spade for fear hat he may have AJx for instance, he'll pull trumps and play the ♣K and duck a club when partner shows out on the next club and it'll be too late for a spade switch then.

[Fluffy]

overtake to play a trump, I hope to make 2 diamonds, ♥K and hopefully another trick that declarer cannot discard form dummy's clubs since our ♣10 stops the suit.

[Hanoi5]

I'd overtake and play ♠6.

[MFA]

I would trust partner to help me on the second round of diamonds.

If he continues with the ♦J, it indicates that he doesn't particularly want me on lead. He should play like this with just one ♠H and nothing in hearts, since if I had a fast third trick myself (trump or ♣K empty), I would always overtake the second diamond and play a spade.

So when partner returns a small diamond, it seems he wants a spade shift. Perhaps declarer is 2-6-3-2 with Kx in both blacks. Or something like that.

[awm]

Well, I see that pretty much everyone is misdefending the same way I did.

The actual hand:

Scoring: IMP

---

The spade switch makes the contract relatively simple. A passive defense (for example returning a trump) should set.

At the other table, our teammates actually went down in two hearts when trumps were lead and continued, and in the process of trying to establish clubs for an overtrick declarer managed to lose a trick to the trump ten.

[MFA]

Why did partner suddenly lead the queen of diamonds?

[sathyab]

MFA, on Mar 3 2009, 06:09 AM, said:

Why did partner suddenly lead the queen of diamonds?

I had the same thought myself. You lead an unsupported honor normally when you want to hold the lead after looking at the dummy. In this case however, declarer is the one with the strong hand, so if anything you'd have preferred partner to be on lead.

Even with the lead of ♦5 leading 3rd/low, with declarer false-carding with the ♦6, you don't get an idea about declarer's shape yet. But when he tries to continue the false card with the ♦J on the next trick, you will know however that partner doesn't have the ♦3 as he'd have played it, unless partner thinks that his card should be now be suit preference as you have nine ♦s between the two of you.

If you suspect that declarer has x-5-3-x shape, a spade switch is not as appealing. It'd still be right to switch to a spade if declarer has Kx AKJxx Jxx KJx, but I hope partner can signal for a spade switch in that case with the ♦Q at T2.

[whereagles]

(Didn't read stuff before replying)

I would have encouraged, aiming at tapping dummy with 3 rounds of diamonds, to kill off clubs. This requires dummy to have a club honor (could be the jack) and a spade honor.

The alternative is to overtake, cash a 2nd diamond, and play pard for AJ of spades. Maybe it's more likely, but I dunno. My feeling tells me to play the tapping game.

[Fluffy]

awm, on Mar 3 2009, 05:45 AM, said:

A passive defense (for example returning a trump) should set.

but overtaking to play a trump, and thrn ducking the diamond from dummy won't be very succesful LOL.