What declarer does not know can hurt him
Recognizing that declarer does not necessarily know what you know is a talent that can be used favorably by a good defender. Here was an example where I was outdefended by an opponent at the other table of a club Swiss team event. (Board 17, Reyim Swiss of January 29, directions reversed.)
The opponents conducted this auction to 4♥.
I led the ♣A and observed a dummy with an extra heart. ♣2, 6 (right side up attitude), and 8 completed the trick.
The chance of a set looked bleak to me. Spades are splitting favorably for declarer so that any diamond losers can be pitched on good spades. Picturing declarer with something like AKQxx, KJxx, x, Jxx, or AJTxx, AKJx, x, Jxx, I continued with a second high club, hoping that partner’s ♣6 was from Q6 doubleton. However, the clubs seen at Trick 2 were the 7, T, and J.
Perseverating about partner’s having been dealt the T6 doubleton of clubs and having been reluctant to have “wasted” the ♣T at Trick 1 (we are not a regular partnership and, in my weak defense, we had already experienced some serious defensive errors), I continued a third club, as partner played the ♣Q and declarer ruffed. The whole hand:
Declarer drew trumps and then pitched a diamond on the ♠9, giving away an overtrick but ensuring her contract.
My table counterpart at my teammates’ table better recognized that, while he knew that spades were splitting, declarer did not. After cashing two high clubs against the same auction, he switched to a diamond. Declarer won the diamond, drew trumps and played two high spades. Staring at a diamond loser, declarer had to guess whether the spades dealt to my hand were Q743 or 743. Declarer guessed wrong, taking a losing spade ruffing finesse, followed by cashing of a good diamond for down one.
In fact, I was told, East at the other table contributed to the misread by my teammate declarer by playing the ♠Q on the second round rather than its then-equal, the ♠T (so that declarer was actually choosing between ♠T743 or ♠743 for my hand). Whether West gratuitously contributed to the misread by showing four spades rather than three, I do not know.
What I do know is that I was outdefended, in spite of partner’s thoughtful discouraging signal at Trick 1. Hopefully, the lesson will resonate.
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The real lesson to be learned is for declarer to plan ahead. Pulling 3 rounds of trumps before thinking is an egregious error. Declarer should pull 2 rounds, AK of spades and a spade ruff high, trump to hand, spade ruff, diamond.
Good comment, Jim, although, if spades are 4-2, you mean a club ruff (not a diamond) later. Whole sequence would be lose two clubs, win DA, AK of hearts, AK of spades, spade ruff with HQ, H to HJ drawing trumps, spade ruff to dummy, club ruff to hand, cash good spade for a diamond pitch: winning four trumps and three spades in hand, two spade ruffs in dummy and DA for ten tricks. When spades turn out to be 3-3, your line nets an overtrick.
Once they cash 2 clubs, you should just claim after 2 rounds of trumps and testing spades. It does not matter whether you get the last entry by ruffing a diamond or a club.
Anyway, a diamond shift is surely right on this hand, though imo that has little to do with inducing declarer to take a practice ruffing finesse. Tapping declarer is surely futile with spades 3-3. Spades are coming in eventually, but declarer hasn’t drawn trumps+established the suit yet, let’s set ourselves up a diamond and hope partner has a spade stop or a trump trick.