Jeff Lehman

Undoing the Deed

Playing in a club Swiss on Friday morning, I held J5, A, KQJT72, J974.  At none vul, I heard dealer to my right open 3.  I evaluated the four level as too rich to overcall diamonds with this hand.  LHO’s 4 raise ended the bidding.

Seems normal to lead the A.  I saw this dummy.

 

North
   J5
   A
   KQJT72
   J974
 
East
   K2
   QJ84
   54
   AKQ65

 

A small heart was called from dummy, partner played the 5 (right side up signaling), and declarer played the 6.

What is your defensive plan?

It is hard to envisage a set unless partner holds both the K (as suggested by noting that two lower heart cards are still unseen) and the A and so I “placed” those two cards in his hand.  If declarer holds only one diamond (meaning partner has four diamonds), however, only one diamond trick will cash. 

To cover the maximum chances for a set in case declarer did own only one diamond, I chose to lead the deceptive J (perhaps the Q is a slightly better choice) at Trick 2.  I thus “forced” partner to win the A at Trick 2. 

Having seen me switch to diamonds even though he had encouraged a continuation of hearts, partner should read me for a stiff A.  Accordingly, he will/should readily cash the K at Trick 3.

If partner has from three to five hearts, he will no doubt continue a heart at Trick 4 and my ruff will set the contract.  I would next try to cash a diamond for a two trick set.

But if partner has exactly six hearts*, he will realize that a Trick 4 heart will not set the contract unless there is a trump promotion.  (A trump promotion is possible if: (a) I hold Qx and declarer chooses to ruff with a non ace or to ruff with the ace and not to next run the T; or (b) partner holds Qx and I hold my actual Jx.)  How can I get partner to consider the more likely possibility of a second diamond cashing, given that my deceptive lead of the J at Trick 2 suggests to him that declarer now owns the master diamond(s)?

By discarding the K on the Trick 3 K, that’s how!  Clearly I cannot afford to discard the K unless I also held the Q.  And so Undoing the Deed of my Trick 2 deception will/should clue partner into leading a diamond for me to cash.  (He is unlikely to try for a trump promotion once he sees the K, too, because if I held seven diamonds to the KQJ as well as the stiff A, I might well have overcalled 4.)

I would love to report that declarer had only one diamond and more than two hearts so that the alternative, mundane defense of leading the K at Trick 2 might not work (in case partner let the K hold and encouraged a diamond continuation that declarer would then ruff).  Alas declarer was 7=2=2=2 and any defense should work to set the contract.

 

Dealer: W #8
Vul: None
North
   J5 
   A 
   KQJT72
   J974
 
West
   AQT9743
   76
   93
   T8
East
   K2
   QJ84
   54
   AKQ65
  South
   86
   KT9532
   A86
   32
 

* In retrospect, a six card heart holding by partner could have been inferred by me, once I concluded that the 5 at Trick 1 is an encouraging card.  If partner held the 7, he would have signaled with that card instead of the 5, and partner might reasonably have concluded that the T and 9 looked too important with which to signal.  That’s pretty subtle, though, and so I still prefer my at-the-table switch to J (or Q) at Trick 2, when followed by my K discard on the K at Trick 3.

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