Break or Endplay

E-W Game
Dealer South

• 4
• 87
• AQ10852
• Q653

• AJ105
• 43
• K4
• K10974

N

W

E

S

• 973
• AKQ95
• J63
• AJ

• KQ862
• J1062
• 97
• 82

West

North

East

South

 

Paul

 

Jon

 

 

 

Pass

Pass

3

3

Pass

3NT

All pass

North led 8 against 3NT, to the 3, 9, and K.  Presumably because he expected diamonds to be 7-1, declarer led a club to dummy's jack.  Then he cashed dummy's top hearts, pitching a spade while North threw a diamond, and the ace of clubs, then came off dummy with a spade.  South split his honours and declarer won with the ace.

Now he had a decision to make.  If clubs were 3-3, he should cash the king of clubs, but on the actual lie he should endplay North with a diamond exit.  How can he tell?

Diamonds are almost certain to be 6-2, or South would not have split his spade honours.  So North is 2263 or 1264.  But which?  Experienced opponents won't have been helpful with the club count, but there are two clues: first, even third in at green North might not have opened  3 with the balanced hand.  Second, at matchpoints, North would probably have pitched a spade if he had two, rather than a diamond, not wanting to lose an undertrick if South had the ace of spades.

A possible defence?

N-S Game
Dealer South

• K65
• A3
• AQJ875
• 73

• 1032
• Q1082
• K1092
• K8

N

W

E

S

• AJ954
• K9754
• none
• Q95

• Q8
• J6
• 643
• AJ10642

West

North

East

South

Jon

 

Paul

 

 

 

 

Pass

Pass

1

2^majors

3

3

All pass

North led 7 against 3, and declarer made ten fairly routine tricks.  But it could have been held to nine - south must take A and switch to Q, later getting a spade ruff.

I don't think I would have found this defence, but it does look possible.  North is quite likely to have K and A - this declarer would have opened any 11-count.  The play is likely to cost a spade trick only if North has 10xx or perhaps three small in the suit.

Difficult but logical

Love all
Dealer West

• 852
• 6
• 95
• AKQ9543

• K94
• A542
• KJ762
• 2

N

W

E

S

• Q1063
• KJ83
• 8
• J1076

• AJ7
• Q1097
• AQ1043
• 8

West

North

East

South

Jon

Sue

Paul

Eric

1

3

3

All pass

South did the wrong thing on this deal, and my partner did very well to take advantage.
We play a strong-club system, and open four-card majors ahead of five-card minors, so we found our heart fit at once. Against 3, North led out two top clubs, South pitching a diamond and declarer ruffing.  Declarer played a spade to the queen and ace, noting North's 2 showing odd count.  South cashed A and continued spades; declarer finessed, cashed his remaining spade, cashed K, and ruffed a diamond.  Now a club, ruffed and over-ruffed with A, a diamond ruff, and a club exit to endplay South.

Declarer reasoned that North's apparently painless decision to continue clubs at trick two suggested that she didn't have short spades.  South simplified the play by cashing A, but his decisive mistake was the diamond discard at trick two.  He should have thrown a spade (or he can ruff in).  That's a difficult play to find - why shouldn't partner have 9xx - but a logical one: you can beat the contract with three aces and two trump tricks, and shortening your spades guarantees the trump tricks.