Dubious Logic

Hidden Entry

When contracts look hopeless they are sometimes much easier to play. When you've eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable must be the distribution you have to hope for. However, even with that hint, this three no-trump contract is far from easy. You're West, only the opponents are vulnerable:

Partner's boost to game had less to do with the range of your no-trump overcall or unusual appreciation for your declarer play but because you'd slipped behind in the match. North leads a low spade, South plays the ten. You're short of tricks so you win immediately – something good must happen, you have to believe North won't get in. You surely cannot do anything without the diamonds so you lead the knave and North covers with the queen. South must have the king (to have the semblance of an opening bid) so you win the ace. What next?

It looks pretty hopeless: South will duck his diamond to prevent you getting to dummy then hold the ace of hearts ready to fell dummy's king denying you entry. Well you have to keep playing cards so you lead a club to the king while you're in dummy. That wins as expected, North presumably has just six spades the queen-knave and that singleton diamond queen for a bit of shape (maybe the club knave as well but he's vulnerable). Now perhaps you have an idea…

This contract is not quite so far away as you thought: you have two tricks in each suit. South will have to duck red winners – otherwise dummy's diamonds will come into play – and moreover he'll have to play a club when in with the diamond king on the third round. If you could leave him on lead when he tries to exit with ace and another club, perhaps the knave, that would do it. If he started with 1=5=4=3 you'd have him as he'd be forced now to lead a heart (or diamond) to dummy.

But he might not have ace-knave-low of clubs. Simple! You don't mind who wins that extra club trick – play a low club from hand now.

Whoever wins has no good card to play. South can't get the club ace out of the way as you are still threatening to play diamonds at him. Notice you have to play a club before the second diamond – otherwise he'd win the club ace, cash the diamond king and get out with a club.

So, a tricky deal but easy lessons to take away from it: never give up hope when the defence are constrained to a particular action – you can often exploit their lack of flexibility. And, of course, lead your partner's suit – starting with a heart here (as found by our team-mates) was necessary to beat the contract.

Coda

Unfortunately the hand is a deal more complicated than I made it seem. North would have to cover from queen-low of diamonds too. So the lie might well be North 6=2=2=3, South 1=5=3=4. Now it would be a mistake to make the early club play. In fact you should simply play diamonds, South winning the third round and getting off lead with ace and another club - except he cannot get the fourth club out of the way. Of course, you'll still be OK conceding a club when South was 1=6=3=3.

As against that, you aren't completely out of it when South is 1=5=4=3 and North's two hearts are five-high or poorer. You'll reach this position simply playing diamonds (with one club lead from dummy, but not conceding a club), South getting off lead with ace and another club:

West has only lost the ace of clubs and a diamond. Now the heart six to the seven creates an entry to the diamonds.

All in all I think the published line is correct: North surely needs some shape for the vulnerable 2♠ bid and, at the table, the ♦Q appeared without missing a beat. But you have to be there of course. Since you asked, I was dummy.

Published Saturday 9.Jun.2007