[mike777]

Ok one more hand, defense this time. I think this one pushes the boundary for us intermediate level players but we can do it. Good luck.

This is a real hand and just for fun so no names are used except you are playing R. Hamman's team. I understand both tables failed to beat this one. You sit in the defensive chair of a Grand Master at one table and a Diamond Master at the other.

Scoring: IMP

1H=P=P=1S
P=2H=X=2S
P=4S=P=P
P

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Trick one=KC. A, 2, 3 standard carding
Trick two=AH, 9, Q, 3
Trick three=2H, KH, 3S ruff, 5H
Trick four=KD, 9, 3, 6
Trick five=4D=? your play?

If you ruff at trick five assume partner high lows in D.
trick 6 you return h and pard pitches a club as declarer ruffs.
trick 7 he leads another small D? your play again.

edit Hint:
1) What is your plan to beat this one? I could not find one, it seemed hopeless so:
2) Out of desperation I fell back and followed 2 general defensive rules that we have all seen in books. Good Luck.

[ArcLight]

With a 1 Spade overcall lacking the A Q J, Declarer must have at least 5 to the King. He's got 1 heart. So whats left is the minors. I think he should have more than 8 points (Spade K, Heart Q <worthless>, Diamond K), but I cant tell

Why isnt he ruffing clubs?
Is his shape 5=1=2=5?

What I think he's about to do is cash his side suit winners, then cross ruff hearts and clubs.

Ruff the Diamond with the 8, lay down the Ace and Q of trumps. This will cost you a trick but where will declarer get his remaining tricks?
He will make 5 trumps, 2 Diamonds, and the Aces of Clubs and Hearts.

Down 1


After some prodding, I am probably wrong!!

Pard has a max of 6 HCP, because declarer has already shown 8 (13 + 13 + 8 = 34, 6 left). If pard had 6 HCP he might bid 1NT or 2 Diamonds. With 6 Diamonds QJ10xxx he might bid 2D in competition?

OK, here is the tough part. If Declarer has 2 diamonds, then pard has the Q and J. Why didn't he bid?

Thus declarer may have 3 diamonds and 3 clubs. Pard hi-lowed so I assume he has the Queen, and you would be ruffing declarers loser and pards winner.

If pard had 5 diamonds and declarer has the Jack, then thats 5 HCP and 5 diamonds, pard is likely to pass.

So you discard a heart and dont ruff

(I'd never figure this out at the table)

[han]

Mike suggest we use two rules from books. I suspect that he means "assume that you can beat the contract" and "try to picture a hand for partner that might beat the contract". This is perhaps only one rule, but let's say that this is the lay-out:

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If I ruff the diamond and play A-Q of spades then declarer has 10 easy tricks. If I pitch a club then declarer crossruffs in hearts and clubs for 10 tricks.

But let's say I pitch a heart instead. Declarer will likely ruff a heart (partner pitching a club, ruff a club, ruff a heart (partner pitching the last diamond) and ruff a club. The endposition is:

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If declarer plays a diamond, partner will ruff and plays a diamond through to avoid that we are endplayed. declarer has no way to come to a tenth trick.

If declarer decides not to crossruff but instead plays another diamond to the queen at trick 6 then I ruff and play A-Q of spades. Now declarer has only 9 tricks.

[mikeh]

I have trouble writing hand diagrams

So I will not set out all the variants, but I think that the rot set in when west took his first ruff. If he pitches a ♥ (as per Hannie), and so long as east is willing to pitch ♦ whenever he can (there is a variant in which he ought not to, but in most lines he should, and it will become apparent when he ought not to), there is no way declarer can prevail if he is K109xx Q KQxx (or worse) and xxx.

There are several variations, depending on how declarer comes off dummy after winning the ♦A.

[Fluffy]

Jlall, on Sep 9 2005, 10:40 PM, said:

One of the rules is "don't ruff declarer's losers" I'm sure. It's rarely right to ruff in a position like this.

In spanish we say 'Do not ruff partner's tricks'

[han]

Sounds like English to me Fluffy, perhaps I should learn Spanish!