BBO Discussion Forums: Defend this - BBO Discussion Forums

Matchpoints - competent partner.

As South, you are defending 2♥. The play goes:
♣8-3-Q-2
♠7-5-J-A
♥6-5-Q-K

The position now is:

What next?

So what do we know already: declarer has likely AQxxx hearts and the CJ. Thus he has exactly one of the DK and SQ. It depends a lot on what we make of partner's S7 - switching into dummy's A10x rather than our suit is certainly interesting, so maybe he has doubleton 76 and we give him a spade ruff followed by cashing two diamonds for one off, but that would give declarer 45 in the majors and he might have bid 2D with that?

The alternative is that partner has the SQ. In which case if declarer has two spades and partner four, we can only make one spade trick to go with our ♦AQ. BUT what if partner also has the DJ (so declarer has xx AQxxx Kxxx Jx) and we can force dummy to ruff - there is no way back to the clubs so our D7 makes! And of course if spades are 4333 then we can make two spade tricks and two diamond tricks.

Not sure which of these I'd play for at the table. It really does depend on what you make of that S7 but I would probably underlead the spade next.

ahydra

What is our carding?

ahydra's answer is pretty much there, except: is it really plausible that partner is 22 in the majors? not really. He had the chance to make a simple raise in diamonds, and he cannot have 5 clubs or the Q was an impossible card. Ergo, it must be the case that he has Q9x xx xxxx QTxx.

Unless declarer has only 4 hearts. But its pretty hard to construct plausible hands were there is a doubleton spade as Kxxx diamonds and Qxxx clubs would give you a raise.

Ill play a low spade. Hopefully partner has the dimond J and will play it so i can force dummy and kill the clubs. But Im not that hopefull!

 Phil, on 2015-September-29, 10:30, said:

This was vs robots on BBO, so North's carding is unknown/random. Sorry if it doesn't help.

 shyams, on 2015-September-30, 00:35, said:

This seems to happen more and more. I think about this question assuming it's a genuine bridge question, and then this ...

so your robot, looking at ATx in spades and T8 of diamonds decides a spade is best?
This is why no one should play with bots.

Most of my human pds would have led a diamond instead of the 7S.......hopefully.

I did bid them afterall.

 fourdad, on 2015-September-30, 03:07, said:

He might hit you with KJxx KQx ATxx xx in which case a spade from Qxx xx xxxx QTxx is absolutely essential. Else a spade loser just goes on a diamond that you have kindly set up....

 phil_20686, on 2015-September-30, 03:37, said:

if na frog had wings he would not bust his butt when he hops.
return a diamond please!

Partner has played ♠7 which denies the Queen otherwise we have to speak a word.
In ♣ he has the Queen not the Jack.
In ♥ he has shown the Queen, which adds up his points to 5.
He cannot have the both the outstanding ♦King and the ♥Ace, which would bring him to 12 Points.
He has only one and this cannot be the King. With 8 Points he would bid only 1♥.
Does he have 5 or 4♥? I do not like to bid 9 points in a flat hand with a jump, but some - I guess 50% - have no qualms and do it.

Partner has heard me bidding, but he plays ♠in a unattractive A10x.
The only reason to justify this is that he has a doubleton ♠.

The declarer has ducked in ♣ with AK in dummy, which makes hardly sense if has a doubleton.

So declarer has

♠ Qxxx
♥ AQxxx
♦ x
♣ Jxx

or unlikely
♠ Qxxx
♥ AQxxx
♦ xx
♣ Jx

or by hope
♠ Qxxx
♥ AQxx
♦ xx
♣ Jxx

In with the ♦ Queen I stand on the fork:

The 2 unlikely distributions tell me I shall cash the high ♦ for down 1.

The likely distribution gives me another idea:
a) Partner has really 8xx in ♥ and the fourth ♠ promotes the deciding trick for the defense.
b) Partner has no trump more but the declarer goes up high with the ♥Jack and my 10 gets a trick.
I play for the trump establisment because its more sexy if it succeeds.

Everybody can cash high cards.

we missing the J and K of ♦ if P has the jack he'd lead it with no doubt so the spade return was the 1st step in killing D entries I'd cash the ♦A return small ♦ to complete the plan and avoiding any ♦ setups

 Finanzier, on 2015-September-30, 09:27, said:

Why cant he have Q97 or Q87 and switch to the 7?

In most of your constructions partner has 5 or 6 card diamond support and a 5 count. xx xx Kxxxx QTxx is not really consistent with the auction imo. At favourable that is just a routine 3D bid for most people.