Try today's deal as a defensive problem. You are East, defending
against 4
after:
East-West vulnerable West deals
West |
North |
East |
South |
1 |
1 |
Pass |
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Pass |
4 |
End |
|
(1)
Interest in game
West leads the
Q
and dummy produces quite a good hand for his
raise to 2.
On the
Q
you play the three, declarer the seven. West
continues with the
10,
eight, four, two. What message, if any, did
you send with your club plays? Has West sent
any message with his two club leads?
West switches to the %K. What do you play and why? Try answering all the
questions before continuing.
It is standard practice to lead the king from holdings headed by both the
ace-king and king-queen. Here West's lead of
the queen from a holding including both the
ace and king, and his continuation of the
ten were both noteworthy. By choosing the "lowest
of equals" he was trying to direct East's
attention to the lower side suit, diamonds,
rather than the higher side suit, hearts.
East's
3
was a count signal, low showing an odd
number. With two cards (possible for East's
raise as West had shown at least six) he
would have played his higher club first. His
second club, the lower of two remaining
cards, also suggested strength in the lower
side suit, diamonds.
On West's
K
East could encourage a diamond continuation
by signalling with the six or ten, but West,
out of diamonds, would have to allow
declarer to gain the lead and claim ten
major-suit winners. To defeat the contract,
East cannot signal at all but must overtake
the %K with the ace and give West a diamond
ruff.
If West held king and a small diamond, he should switch to the small card
at trick three. East would win the ace and
return a diamond to the king. Therefore the
K
had to be a singleton and East should rise
majestically to the occasion. Signals are
very useful, but they are no replacement for
logic.