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“If you think it’s right to fight fire with fire, remember that the fire department uses water.” — graffiti
| Dlr: North | ♠ K 8 | |||||||||||||
| Vul: All | ♥ Q J 9 | |||||||||||||
| ♦ A K 7 6 3 | ||||||||||||||
| ♣ J 5 4 | ||||||||||||||
| ♠ 10 7 6 2 | ♠ A Q 9 3 | |||||||||||||
| ♥ 8 6 5 3 | ♥ K 10 4 2 | |||||||||||||
| ♦ J 9 8 5 | ♦ Q 10 | |||||||||||||
| ♣ 7 | ♣ A 10 3 | |||||||||||||
| ♠ J 5 4 | ||||||||||||||
| ♥ A 7 | ||||||||||||||
| ♦ 4 2 | ||||||||||||||
| ♣ K Q 9 8 6 2 | ||||||||||||||
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Opening lead — ♠2
Try today’s deal as a defensive problem. Cover the West and South cards. Against 3NT, West leads the ♠2, dummy plays low and you take the queen. South almost surely has the jack, from both his bidding and his failure to put up dummy’s king on the first spade.
What next?
Long Clubs
South must have long, strong clubs since he bid 3NT with so few high cards. After the clubs are established, he may have nine winners. You can lead the ace and a third spade to set up your fourth spade, but you will come to only four defensive tricks that way.
To beat 3NT, you must fight fire (declarer’s long clubs) with fire (forcing out the only entry to his hand so he can’t use them). At trick two, shift to the ♥K. If South takes the ace and starts the clubs, duck twice and win the third club. South’s hand is dead, and he will take at most eight tricks.
Daily Question
You hold:
♠ K 8
♥ Q J 9
♦ A K 7 6 3
♣ J 5 4
Your partner opens 1♠, you bid 2♦, and he rebids 2♠. What do you say?