rainbow@ihlts.UUCP (Robert) (07/19/85)
S:KQx H:Q84 D:K92 C:Q754 S: H:AKJT753 D:A765 C:K3 South is in 6H after east preempts 3S and west raises. Opening lead is the 2S. Plan the play.
bs@faron.UUCP (Robert D. Silverman) (07/22/85)
> > S:KQx > H:Q84 > D:K92 > C:Q754 > > S: > H:AKJT753 > D:A765 > C:K3 > > South is in 6H after east preempts 3S and west raises. Opening lead > is the 2S. Plan the play. This is an easy problem. Just perform a Morton's Fork Coup on W. Ruff the opening spade lead. Do not put up the K or Q. If you do East can defeat you by ducking since you don't yet know what to discard on the high spade. Draw a round of trumps, and lead a low club toward the Q. Now one of two things will happen: (a) W will win the A. Now you win any return, ruff out the A spades and discard 2 diamond losers on the high spade and Q clubs. (b) W ducks. Now you ruff out the A spades, discard the K clubs on the high spade and give up a diamond. Ruff the last diamond in dummy. The reason you only draw 1 round of trumps is obvious. If the person who wins the diamond had 3 trumps he will return one and prevent the ruff. W should have the A clubs. (When was the last time you opened 3S with 2 bullets? By the way, a weak E MIGHT open 3S with 2 Aces, in which case you'll have to guess as whether to lead toward the club K or Q. A strong opponent, however, is unlikely to pre-empt with 2 quick tricks.) The Morton's Fork Coup comes from the fact that if W plays the A clubs you get 2 discards, and if he doesn't play it, he never gets it. He's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. You also see now why you don't play a high spade in dummy at trick 1. You don't yet know whether to discard a club or a diamond. Bob Silverman (they call me Mr. 9)