"Impossible switch"

Defenders frequently face a difficult switch in the middle of the game. As in the diagram below, after South pass, West open the bidding with just 2♠ (week-2), North double for take out, East pass, and South jump to 4♥. After think quite a while, North pass with 19 HCP. West start with ♠A and continue spade after you make a discard. How would you defend this hand.

	♠ Q 10 4 3
	♥ A 9 4
	♦ A Q 4 3
	♣ A K
		East
		♠ void
		♥ Q 10 8 7 2
		♦ 6 5
		♣ 10 x x x x

Firstly, what will you discard? Most defenders will discard diamond on the first trick. Say, you ruff the second trick and see declarer play his ♠K. What will you return to beat the contract? If declarer has the ♦K and 5 cards hearts, nothing you can do. If declarer has ♠Kxx and 5 cards heart, declarer has 10 tricks. So, your hope is declarer has only 2 card spades and no ♦K. With this analysis, have you found the best return? The best return is diamond, and when you get another lead, lead your second diamond. This will break up the squeezed. So, don't ever discard your diamond. If you return other than diamond, West will be squeezed in diamond and spade. After a club return, won in dummy, declarer will cash the ♥A, shocked for a while and then give lead to you by ducking a heart. Win another club in dummy and finesse heart and another heart will squeeze west. Poor west is unable to guard both spade and diamond. The complete distribution as below:

	♠ Q 10 4 3
	♥ A 9 4
	♦ A Q 4 3
	♣ A K
West		East
♠A J x x x x x		♠ void
♥ void		♥ Q 10 8 7 2
♦ K 10 9		♦ 6 5
♣ x x x		♣ 10 x x x x
	Selatan
	♠ K x
	♥ K J x x x
	♦ J x x x
	♣ Q J

Can you see another way to defeat the contract? The easiest way is: don't ruff the second spade. Just discard and you will find declarer will have no way to land the contract. Defensive play is hardest part of the game in bridge.

Fail to Land in the Slam

Competing in match point tournament, you should play consistently good to finish in the big threes. I found this hand in the last round of the session and fail to find the key cards.

	♠ Q 6
	♥ Q 5 4
	♦ A K 10 6
	♣ K 9 3 2
West		East
♠ 5 4		♠ 3 2
♥ A 9 x x		♥ K 10 x x x x
♦ Q x xx		♦ 7 6 5
♣ J 4 3		♣ A x
	Declarer
	♠ A K J 9 7 6 5
	♥ void
	♦ J 5
	♣ Q 10 7 3

We reached a very optimistic contract of 6♠, without opposition bidding. I start with 1S, north respond with 2NT (natural), 3C from south, 3D from north, 3S, 4S,5H, 6C and corrected to 6S.

West started with ♦x, I found my self in early decision whether to finesse diamond or find out the Jack of club. After some thought, I play the ♦ A from dummy and throw the Jack from the hand.

Running 4 round of trump, I play a club to the King, East win with the Ace and return the heart. I have to find the ♣ J to land the contract. As you may see, the ♣ J was offside and I fail to land it.

Actually, as the cards located, I can save the slam. Just run all my trumps including the ♣ Q, West will be squeezed in club and diamond. Then finesse the diamond to land the contract.

Why I didn't see this line? Unfortunately, I have threw the diamond when running my trump. Oh dear, I have said goodbye to my slam with my discard. But, didn't you see, if I didn't throw any diamond when drawing trump the contract always fail if East could find the correct return? Yes, East will return a diamond, giving one trick but that's not enough for contract. So, the correct line is finessing the ♣ J.

Percentage Play (3)

In a recent tournament, I found an interesting board as displayed below. The bidding is simple, 1NT from South and North raises it to 3NT.

		Dummy
		♠ 10 8
		♥ A K
		♦ 9 8 5 4
		♣ A 8 7 6 5
		You
		♠ K Q 5 4
		♥ Q 10
		♦ K J 4 3
		♣ K J 3

Contract 3NT. West started with small heart. What is your plan?

First of all, let's list some requirements to fulfill the contact. Club shall be divided evenly with the queen is on your right. What's else?

If you can count for 5 tricks in club, you have 7 sure tricks. In what suit(s) will you take the other two? One trick easily develop from spade, but it will be only the 8th, how about the ninth?

Let's analyze our chance. Will we bring home the contract if East has the ♠ A? Assume that after winning the 1st trick in dummy, you play spade. Best defense for East is to play, and you win with the ♠ K. Next you play club to ♣ A, and finesse club. Success!!! But you don't have entry to take the ♠ Q.

Another possibility is to immediately finesse the ♠ J by running the ♠ 10. But, alert defender will cover the it. Event if you have the ♠ 9, this line is only a 50% chance of success. (Remember, you don't have the nine).

How about playing the diamond? You need to steal a diamond trick first. Assume at trick 2, you play a diamond, East plays low, you have to rise with the King. When it wins, you can directly establish your 9th trick in spade. If East is an alert defender, he may rise with ♦ A, then switch to heart. You still have chance when East also has the ♦ Q, so you can finesse for the ninth. It's a difficult hand, although your combined strength is 26 HCP with a 5 running tricks, you still have difficulties to bring home the contract. In my opinion, playing the diamond is the best percentage play to land the contract.