NORTH opening 2♠ showed a hand of
limited strength, containing spades and an unspecified minor. South’s response
of 4♣ indicated that he was willing to play at the four
level in partner’s minor suit. East-West could make at least 11 tricks or more
in heart, as you see, but West understandably devalued his King of Spades.
There is only one lead that defiantly beats the club game- a trump!
West could expect South to be short in spades and should probably have
diagnosed that a trump lead was best. He actually led the King of hearts,
ruffed in the dummy. Hoping to set up a crossruff, South now called for a low
spade. East was in a difficult situation. To beat the contract, he needed to
play the six. West could then win the trick and play a (somewhat belated)
trump. However, if declarer had the bare spade King and West held the Ace of
diamonds, it would be essential to rise with the Ace of spades and switch to
diamonds. East rose with the spade Ace (It’s hard to blame him) switched to the
Queen of diamonds.
South was hoping to take four spade ruffs in his hand. Since heart
ruffs in the dummy would give him only three entries for this, he would need a
diamond ruff entry too. He therefore ducked the Queen of diamonds. If East’s diamonds
were headed by the Queen-Jack, and West overtook with the King to play a trump,
declarer’s ♦A 10 would then be worth two tricks
Twitter ID : @HemaDeora
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