rainbow@ihuxe.UUCP (06/27/84)
S:QT5 W N E S
H:74 - 1C 1H 1S
D:AKJ 2H 3S P 4S
C:AQJ63 P P P
S:AJ62
H:T963
D:54
C:T72
You lead the TH won by partner's King. Partner cashes the AH and exits
with the five which declarer ruffs in the closed hand pitching the JD
from dummy. Now Declarer leads the 9S. How do you defend?
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If declarer has six spades, you have no defense. Declarer will have
enough trump in order to enter his hand twice(via KC and club ruff;
because declarer most certainly cant be short in diamonds)
to finesse your JS and then draw your last trump before claiming.
So assume declarer has only five. Now what?
A)you duck and declarer continues with another spade.
1.if you rise with the Ace and exit with a heart, declarer will get
two heart ruffs in hand, 5 minor suit winners, the 9S which you ducked,
and a high crossruff with the KQ of spades for ten tricks.
2.if you rise with the Ace and exit with something other than a heart,
declarer will win in dummy, cash QS, enter his hand with the KC
to draw your last trump, and dummy is good.
3.if you duck again, declarer will abandon trump. After cashing 5 minor
suit tricks, Dummy will have QS and two good clubs, Declarer will have
K8 of spades and a diamond. You will hold AJ of spades and a heart.
Declarer needs two more ticks and the lead is in dummy. He leads a club
and ruffs with the KS. You cant overruff because then you either
have to draw trump for declarer or allow a crossruff. You cant duck
because then you cant stop the diamond ruff with the QS. Lets try another
line.
B)you win the Ace on the first spade lead.
1.if you exit with a heart, declarer will get two heart ruffs in hand,
finesse the TS, five minor suit winners, and crossruff the KQ of spades.
2.if you exit with a club, declarer holding K9 of clubs will have two
entries to finesse and pick up the trump suit.
3.a spade exit only helps declarer pick up the trump suit with only one
entry needed(the KC).
4.a diamond exit is the winner. Declarer does not have two entries in hand
to pick up the trump suit. Declarer is limited to one heart ruff, 5 minor
suit winners, the TS finesse,and the KQ of spades. Down one. In practice,
declarer goes down two when he finesses through his K9 of clubs in an
attempt to find a second entry(assuming another diamond exit).
I received one correct solution from Jeff Halle.