[ahydra]

MPs, you deal. RHO (West) is a good player but LHO (East) is somewhat less strong. Playing 4cM weak NT with a pickup partner.

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What's your call here?

At the table I picked 3D (maybe another X is better), the auction continued (3S)-4D-(4S) and I whacked it. I led the DK to see this dummy: ♠J10853 ♥K1094 ♦9 ♣A84. Partner plays the ♦4 (reverse count) and declarer the ♦6 on the first trick. How do you continue the defence?

(I expect the experts to get the defence correct, and to be honest I should have done so at the table as well - maybe give the intermediate guys a go first)

ahydra

[PhantomSac]

I won't comment on the defense, but as far as the bidding goes, 3D is definitely "going low" but it is reasonable, but having bid only 3D when partner competes to 4D over 3S I really think you should bid 5D, you have a great hand. You also have no reason to suspect you can beat 4S, this hand could easily be a double game swing.

I would have probably just bid 3S over 2S though, it might depend on what partner passing the XX would mean though (if it is not penalty, then a 2D bid should have 5 diamonds almost always I think in which case you have quite a good hand).

[y66]

If declarer has 2 or 3 hearts including the jack, 6 spades to the AK, 2 diamonds and 2 or 3 clubs, we can't get more than one heart, one diamond and one club. So I'll play p for Jx of hearts and lead a small heart now.

[nige1]

ahydra, on 2015-May-02, 15:17, said:

MPs, you deal. RHO (West) is a good player but LHO (East) is somewhat less strong. Playing 4cM weak NT with a pickup partner.
What's your call here?
At the table I picked 3D (maybe another X is better), the auction continued (3S)-4D-(4S) and I whacked it. I led the DK to see this dummy: ♠J10853 ♥K1094 ♦9 ♣A84. Partner plays the ♦4 (reverse count) and declarer the ♦6 on the first trick. How do you continue the defence?
(I expect the experts to get the defence correct, and to be honest I should have done so at the table as well - maybe give the intermediate guys a go first)

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Spoiler

IMO, you're worth game in ♦. Against 4♠X, after ♦K opening lead, my guess is ♣x = 10, ♣K = 9. ♥A (hoping to give partner a ruff) = 8.

[alok c]

Club small SO that declarer does not get a chance of discarding club on HK.Three small clubs with declarer is the only chance to defeat the contract & partner must hold CJ.small club is led to unblock partner with a doubleton J

[KurtGodel]

y66, on 2015-May-02, 15:45, said:

If declarer has 2 or 3 hearts including the jack, 6 spades to the AK, 2 diamonds and 2 or 3 clubs, we can't get more than one heart, one diamond and one club. So I'll play p for Jx of hearts and lead a small heart now.

After having bid this much I really doubt this will work. It also requires for us to have underled QJ of hearts rather than just the ace, which means we need to have two specific card rather than just the one.

Spoiler

If declarer has 3 clubs then we can score two clubs, one diamond and one heart. Alternatively if partner has a singleton heart we can give them a ruff and score: a heart, a trump, a diamond and a club. So it seems as if we are onto a guess, but this isn't really true. If partner has a singleton heart this gives declarer six spades, two heart tricks, one club and a ruff, we will never be able to establish our club trick in time. So it can only be right to play a club. If we play a top club declarer could win and if partner has Jx the suit is blocked (and hey, just once in a lifetime he might have stiff jack). Additionally declarer might think they have some other chance and rise with the ace even when they have the jack.

[y66]

KurtGodel, on 2015-May-03, 07:17, said:

After having bid this much I really doubt this will work. It also requires for us to have underled QJ of hearts rather than just the ace, which means we need to have two specific card rather than just the one.

Spoiler

If declarer has 3 clubs then we can score two clubs, one diamond and one heart. Alternatively if partner has a singleton heart we can give them a ruff and score: a heart, a trump, a diamond and a club. So it seems as if we are onto a guess, but this isn't really true. If partner has a singleton heart this gives declarer six spades, two heart tricks, one club and a ruff, we will never be able to establish our club trick in time. So it can only be right to play a club. If we play a top club declarer could win and if partner has Jx the suit is blocked (and hey, just once in a lifetime he might have stiff jack). Additionally declarer might think they have some other chance and rise with the ace even when they have the jack.

Spoiler

If p is 2263 (what I was playing for), he is 3/2 x more likely to have the CJ than the HJ, so, for that reason alone, your line appears better to me. It would not have occurred to me to lead a small club for the reason you gave (that declarer might go up with the ace, even when he has the jack). Good idea.

[ahydra]

Yep, seems most of you got this right. The correct defense is to play a small club as partner has xxx xx QJ10xxx Jx. At the table I played a high club and later watched to my horror as partner's J dropped under my Q.

ahydra