Second Hand Rose

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frs1016@centurylink.net
The player we call “Second Hand Rose” was at my club today. When the lesson about “second high low” on defense was taught, Rose must have been out on a date with Jiggs the
plumber.
Rose was East, and West led the ♦K against 4♥. (North’s 2NT was a conventional “limit raise.”) Dummy played low, and Rose signaled with the deuce. West got the message and exited with a club.
South drew trumps. At trick four, he led a low spade from dummy, and Second Hand Rose … with the king! Rose then led a diamond, and declarer was sunk. West’s 10 forced out the ace, and when West took the ♠A, he cashed the ♦Q.

Dlr: South ♠ J 10 7 5 3
Vul: N-S ♥ Q J 7 3
♦ A 7 3
♣ 5
♠ A 9 6 ♠ K 4 2
♥ 4 ♥ 9 6
♦ K Q 10 6 ♦ 9 4 2
♣ K J 9 6 3 ♣ Q 10 8 4 2
♠ Q 8
♥ A K 10 8 5 2
♦ J 8 5
♣ A 7
South West North East
1♥ Dbl 2NT 3♣
4♥ All Pass

Opening lead — ♦K

Discard

South would make his game if Rose played low on the first spade. West would win but couldn’t lead another diamond effectively. South would have time to set up dummy’s spades for a diamond discard.
Rose’s defense was intelligent. Rose saw that if declarer had the ♠A, the contract was surely unbeatable.

Daily Question

You hold:
♠ A 9 6
♥ 4
♦ K Q 10 6
♣ K J 9 6 3
You are the dealer. What do you say?

ANSWER
Some players would open 1♦, planning to bid 2♣ after a major-suit response by partner. That is a dangerous sequence since partner might correctly return to 2♦ with a hand such as
♠ K 5 3 2
♥ J 9 6 3 2
♦ J 5
♣ Q 2
My preference would be to open 1♣. If partner responds 1♥, I would bid 1NT; I would raise a response of 1♠ to 2♠.