Puzzle This

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Playing IMPs, you pick up this hand in fourth seat:

♠K Q J 9 ♥A 10 5 ♦K 3 ♣10 9 4 3.

Your left-hand opponent opens 1NT (15–17 HCP), partner passes, and RHO bids 3NT. Despite having an opening hand, you can’t really enter this auction, so you pass, as do LHO and partner.

The opening lead is the ♥3, and this is what you see:

North
♠ 10 5 2
♥ Q 9 7
♦ A Q 10 9 8 6
♣ 5
East
♠ K Q J 9
♥ A 10 5
♦ K 3
♣ 10 9 4 3

Declarer plays the 9 from dummy. What card do you play and why?

View Solution

In some cases, it’s right to play the 10. Partner could, after all, have both the ♥K and the ♥J. Another way the 10 might be right is if partner has led from K–6–4–3–2. When you play the 10, declarer will win the ♥J, but when he tries the diamond finesse, you’ll win the king and run the heart suit.

But what if partner has led from the ♥J and declarer has the king? In that case, the 10 is a silly play, especially since you have an almost surefire way to defeat the contract regardless of the heart layout: Simply win the ♥A and play the ♠K driving out the ace.

The full deal:

North
♠ 10 5 2
♥ Q 9 7
♦ A Q 10 9 8 6
♣ 5
West
♠ 6 3
♥ J 6 4 3 2
♦ 5 4
♣ Q 8 7 2
East
♠ K Q J 9
♥ A 10 5
♦ K 3
♣ 10 9 4 3
South
♠ A 8 7 4
♥ K 8
♦ J 7 2
♣ A K J 6

When declarer wins the ♠A and tries the diamond finesse, you’ll win the ♦K and cash your remaining spades for down one (three spades, one heart and one diamond).