Catering for good defence

[OliverC]

This was a very instructive hand that I played with Samet (doru77) this morning and it's all about making and reassessing your "plan" for the hand. Game All, Dealer South. You are North and the bidding goes as follows:


South       West        North        East
1           No            2           2
No            No            2NT⁽¹⁾      No
3 ⁽²⁾      No           3NT           All Pass

⁽¹⁾ Lebensohl
⁽²⁾ Forced

West leads the Ace of Spades, and this is what you can see:

South (Dummy)
10972
AKQ43
J
Q75

North
854
8
AKQ5
KJ964

West cashes the AK of Spades (East following with the 6 and then the Jack) and then switches to the 10 , won with Dummy's Jack. How should you plan the play? This looks like a simple contract, in that you have loads of potential winners, no suit is threatened and you only have 4 probable losers, but the hand is deceptive and needs careful handling:

.
.
.

(1) Tricks: 4 Diamonds, 3 Hearts, up to 4 Clubs and even a Spade trick, so no lack of winners.
(2) Losers: 3 Spades and the Ace of Clubs
(3) Potential Problems: No immediate ones, but your singleton Heart might restrict your access to Dummy.
(4) Plan: Threefold:

• Establish my Spade trick immediately
• Having done that play a small Club to K or J in my hand
• Depending on what Opps lead when they take the Q , play off 2 of my 3 Diamond winners, discarding Dummy's losing Hearts, before playing a second round of Clubs

Samet didn't think this one through. He started on the Clubs immediately playing a Club to his King and a second Club to Dummy's Queen, but that second Club did him in, because West played well and ducked. When Samet played a 3rd Club, West could take his Ace of Clubs, cash the Q , and exit with a Heart, trapping Declarer in Dummy to concede 2 Heart tricks at the end

The full hand:

                     South (Dummy)
                      10972
                      AKQ43
                      J
                      Q75
East                                   West
AK3                                  QJ6
76                                    J10952
1087632                          94
103                                  A82
                     North
                      854
                      8
                      AKQ5
                      KJ964
If, having already established his Spade trick, Declarer cashes 2 Diamonds, leaving one in reserve to "hold" the suit and discards Dummy's 2 losing Hearts, he's now absolutely bombproof because

• Dummy will effectively be "high"
• There's no benefit to West to hold up the Ace of Clubs

Moral
Even the simplest looking hands often have hidden pitfalls. Always make a plan and spend a little time covering the "what if?" situations

[Jimmy]

Having looked at only the N-S hands, I think I would have tried this approach.

I would have played it very similar to Samet.  I would cashing 2 top club first (giving the defense an opportunity to make a mistake and playing for a doubleton club (Ax).  This approach could create an overtrick if defense gets greedy and does not play the spade.  However,  once the second club is ducked,  I would have played my remaining 3 diamonds,  if diamonds split (not likely), I would now play the spade hoping that the Q spades is not with the A clubs.  If diamonds do not split, I would go to the hearts and be content with making 3NT.  Greed is not good.

[lute57]

I think the point here is for Declarer to establish his  trick [10 spot] immediately.

I think if you play the spade after playing two rounds of clubs - hoping for a mistake or Ax - and then playing your remaining three diamonds - BEFORE establishing your spade trick. Then the opponents will cash not only the  Q and  A but also their now established  winner(s) for at least -1.

IMO once West shows the  J, Declarer knows Dummy's  10 is good as long as he first establishes it before transportation issues enter the fray. So while he has the transportation, Declarer's first step should be to establish the spade trick.

[OliverC]

Absolutely right, John. Playing for an overtrick when the basic contract is in doubt is a fool's game at IMP scoring. The rule for IMPs is utterly to play safe for your contract before you start trying anything cute. The only time that might not apply is when barometer scores are level going into the last board of a TM, when you're effectively down to Board-a-Match scoring. Now you might take risks for an overtrick, but never at cross-imped Pairs.


Here, whether or not you establish the Spade trick first or not, it's lunacy NOT to take 2 top Diamonds to get rid of Dummy's losing Hearts before playing a second Club.

[Jimmy]

There is no risk in my line of play.  But,  there is a potential reward.  Once 2 clubs are established the contract is in the bag.  Three H's, 4 D's, and the two clubs.  If (a big if) the diamonds split 4/4, there is a chance of isolating the A C's.   Again,  if the diamonds are not 4/4, one must run the 9 tricks and concede.   

[OliverC]

That's not too bad, Jimmy, as long as you are in hand when the defence duck the second Club. If you're in Dummy (as Samet was) you have no ability to cash any Diamonds, because you're no entries left back to hand. Moreover, you need to cash only two Diamonds, not 3, because you don't know at that stage who has the Ace of Clubs. Cashing a 4th Diamond brings you down to a singleton Spade in Dummy and now when you concede a Club, the defence might be in a position to cash 2 Diamonds and 2 Spades.


Seriously, given the 2 overcall by East missing all 4 top honours in the suit,  is it conceivable that they have less than a 5 or 6-card suit? Would you really overcall vulnerable on 10xxx when RHO has made a 2/1 response?


As I said before, your duty as Declarer at any form of IMP scoring is to play 100% safe for the contract you're in rather than trying for overtricks. Suppose West started with AKQx, -, 10xxxxx, Axx. On your line, you're cashing all your Diamonds (again what are you going to discard from Dummy on the last Diamond?), before exiting with the Club. If you chuck a Spade, I'll take my Ace of Clubs, two long Diamonds and 2 Spade tricks. If you chuck a top Heart, you're giving up any chance for your overtrick right away. It's a million miles safer to establish your Spade trick first, then cross back to hand to the Jack of Clubs. If nobody takes the Ace, cash only 2 Diamonds, throwing losing Hearts from Dummy, and now play a second Club. On this line you are absolutely 100% for 9 tricks whether Opps take the second Club or not, because you've already established your 9th trick in the Spade suit.


No Trump technique 101 is to establish tricks before cashing easy winners elsewhere. Here the reason for cashing 2 Diamonds (and only two Diamonds), is solely to remove Dummy's losing Hearts so that the line of defence East chose is not open to them. Cashing a 4th Diamond trick (and the 3rd will show the Diamonds are 6-2 even if you hadn't anticipated that probability from the bidding) gains you nothing, gives up your control of the Diamond suit, and gives you an awkward discard from Dummy. No point.

[Jimmy]

On your line, you're cashing all your Diamonds (again what are you going to discard from Dummy on the last Diamond?)

I would discard the last club in dummy on the 4th diamond.  This line of play "considers" a 4-4 diamond split.  The clubs would be down to only the A clubs in defenders hand and no diamonds in defenders hands.   Again,  this can be accomplished only if there is a 4-4 diamond split.  But, there is no risk involved for attempting this approach once 2 club tricks are established. 

And,  yes,  the first club played has to be the Q clubs from dummy.  This approach even works if the spades are 4-2,because dummy has the 10 9 spades. 

Now,  for a great double-dummy problem.   How would you play the hand with the opening lead of 7 's?

                   

[OliverC]

Jimmy of course there is, in the sense that you're committing yourself to relinquishing any and all control of the Diamond suit regardless of how the suit is splitting. If the defender with 7-card Diamonds also has the Ace of Clubs and a Spade of any sort, then you're down, because when they win the Club/Spade you're eventually going to have to exit with they're going to have 5 tricks to cash. All you will have made is 4 Diamonds, 3 Hearts and a Club. They'll have up to 3 Diamonds and up to 3 Spade tricks.


On the lead of the 7 , I think I take a second Heart, and then start on the Clubs. It doesn't matter what Opps do, they cannot stop me from taking 4 Clubs, 2 Hearts and 3 Diamonds.

[Jimmy]

Hi Oliver, 

With proper defense, this hand only makes 3NT.   All I am saying,  is play the hand to make the maximum number of tricks without risking the contract. 

1.  Win the diamond switch with the J 's.
2.  Play the Q
3.  Play low club to K or J  's.
4.  Now play all three top diamonds,  hoping for a 4-4 diamond split.
5.  Diamonds do not split.
6.  Now,  just play low  to the AKQ 's
7.  4 's, 2 's and 3 's

That is 3NT.  Contract always secure. 

Now,  lets say diamonds split 4-4   Play is the same up until the 4th  trick is played. 

1.  Win the diamond switch with the J!D.
2.  Play the Q
3.  Play low club to K or J  's.
4.  Now play all three top diamonds (throwing last club on the 4th diamond winner played),  hoping for a 4-4 diamond split.
5.  Diamonds split 4-4
6.  Play the low spade up the the 10 9 's
7.  If the player with the winning  Q!S's does not have the A 's that means they will have only  's or 's left and are end played.  The contract will now make 3NT with no risk involved. 
8.  If player winning the Q 's has the A 's, that is all they can cash,  then they have to lead a  or  . 

This line of play also works well with an adverse distribution because you still have stoppers in all suits and maintain or preserve your transportation.     

Very important to lead the Q 's at trick four.

NOW,   I would like to point out that my line of play will actually make 4NT.  Because,  when you play out the diamonds West is squeezed.  On the 3rd diamond play he has to discard a heart.  bring him down to this position:

                     South (Dummy)
                      109
                      AKQ4
                     
                     
East                                   West
3                                    Q
76                                    J1095
876                                 
                                        A
                     North
                      8
                      8
                      Q
                      J96

Important,  when you lead the K 's, it was necessary to discard the Q 's. (useless card since you have J96 in hand)

Next lead the Q  's and discard the 9 's.

What does West discard on the 4th  play?

1. If West throws the A 's, contract makes 4.   
2. If West throws the Q 's, contract make 4.
3. If West throws the 5 's, contract makes 4.

The power of squeezing!


On the lead of the 7 , I think I take a second Heart, and then start on the Clubs. It doesn't matter what Opps do, they cannot stop me from taking 4 Clubs, 2 Hearts and 3 Diamonds.

Yup,  gotta take that 9th trick before transportation is cut.   

[OliverC]

Ahhh. You're changing your tune a little now. You originally said you'd play the hand similar to Samet (who started the Clubs with a small Club from Dummy, rather than the QUEEN) That is slightly different. I concede you will still make your 9 tricks, but there is absolutely a zero chance of the Diamonds being 4-4 here, given the 2 overcall

[Jimmy]

Nah,  not changing any tunes.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1tsLrd3cJQ

Said it was similar to Samet and later mentioned that Q 's had to be played first. 

How'd you like the squeeze that West gets into by not playing the A 's and then Q 's.

[OliverC]

Very nice, Jimmy, but at heart I'm a fairly uncomplicated guy. Looking for complicated solutions, when there is a simple  solution that is 100% guaranteed to obtain the number of tricks you need, is not my style.