BBO Discussion Forums: Defensive problem - BBO Discussion Forums

IMPs

EW play Acol, so 2♣ was not game-forcing, but promised enough to raise a strong notrump to game - say 10+ if balanced, or 9+ with a five-card suit.

NS play standard count, upside down attitude, and standard Smith. In a Smith situation, if your attitude to the suit led is known, you play suit preference.

You lead a 4th-best spade to the king, 3 and 7. Declarer plays ♣J to the 3 and 4.

What now?

At this point you don't know if partner's 3 of clubs is a singleton, Q3, or Q?3. Perhaps you should duck the club and see what happens next.
Alternatively, perhaps partner has K3 and ducked in case you have singleton ace. That would make ducking this club less attractive.

gnasher, on 2011-April-05, 12:02, said:

I suspect pd has stiff ♠, he can't have Qxx or Jxx or we wld see an honor from declarer on K, pd shd not have Qx or Jx either he would want to unblock it first round (or declarer would probably play small from dummy with AJx)..He cant have xx for the same reasons (declarer would show an honor on K) He definetely not have QJx ♠ either...

That makes declarer something like 4135 4225 4036 4126 (with 4-4 blacks he wld bid 1♠) Anyway he seems to make 4♠+4♣+1♥ if we fail to cash ♦. I maybe missing something tho, curious to read more on this topic. I have no answer why declarer would bid 3 NT with no ♦ stopper, but i won't let him make it if he did so.

EDIT: Ducking ♣ may also cost if declarer has Kx ♥ and decides to take 5♥+4♠+1♣

In ♠ only AQJ are missing and declarer seems to have them.
So declarer has at least 5 tricks in the majors and your partner probably holds the ♥K, unless declarer has it singleton.
Partner did not overcall in ♦ so I doubt that declarer has no ♦ stopper.
You will need partner to hold the ♣K or less likely ♣QTx.
The ♣3 may or may not have been a suggestion for ♦.
Play the ♦K (It is probably too late to switch to ♥) and hope partner has ♦ Q98xx or Q9xxxx with the ♣K

Declarer could be
♠AQJx,♥K,♦Axxx,♣QTxx

Rainer Herrmann

♣A♦K

gnasher, on 2011-April-05, 12:02, said:

J of hearts.

Edit: Win the ace of clubs was omitted

FrancesHinden, on 2011-April-05, 15:06, said:

With ♣Kx wouldn't partner have played the king? Apart from the possibility that I have 10x or 10xx, he might also need to preserve my entry. From his point of view, my spades might be rather better than they are.

One reason not to duck the club is that dummy isn't particularly rich in entries.

rhm, on 2011-April-06, 06:11, said:

I dunno, Andy may tell us better i think, if with this hand in Acol he would start 1♠ or 2♣, if he can then yes declarer can have this hand. Does pd overcall with AQ9xxx and nothing else ? Some do some not i guess. But then aren't we too late for ♥ anyway ?

EDIT:Nevermind, i replied w/o reading your entire post, just saw u also play ♦ K.

With 4-4 in the blacks responder would respond 1♠. The initial responses in Acol are similar to those in SAYC.

If partner had ♦AQ9xxx and nothing else, at favourable and facing a passed partner, he would overcall 3♦.

[edited to correct typo]

This post has been edited by gnasher: 2011-April-06, 15:52

gnasher, on 2011-April-06, 15:10, said:

EDIT: Then in orderfor us to defeat, we need declarer to hold AQJx x/(K) A8x QTxxx ? Still playing ♦ K, too late for ♥, declarer can raise the ace and play ♣

Wins when pd has AQ98x ♦ or Q98xx Q9xxxx with ♣K