Bridge Blog 1100-B: School Daze II

Hand #6, which came next, tested us on the defense. Here we had to take advantage of two opportunities to beat the North-South slam, but we had to seize them right away.

East is dealer.

North

Spades: A-K-Q-J-9-8-5-3; Hearts: K-J; Diamonds: None; Clubs: A-K-Q.

East

Spades: 7-4; Hearts: Q; Diamonds: K-8-6-5-4-3; Clubs: 7-6-4-3.

South

Spades: 10-6; Hearts: 4-3; Diamonds: Q-J-7-2; Clubs: J-10-9-8-5.

West

Spades: 2; Hearts: A-10-9-8-7-6-5-2; Diamonds: A-10-9; Clubs: 2.

East passes, South passes, West bids 4 Hearts, North bids 6 Spades and then everybody passes.

What to lead? One of those long Diamonds? Or the singleton Queen of Hearts? The Queen it is. West comes up with the Ace. North plays the Jack. That’s the tip-off.

North should have done a quick count of the cards before playing that Jack. The dummy has two Hearts, the 4 Heart pre-emptive bid should tell North that West has eight of them, which leaves only one Heart in East’s hand.

North’s only hope, then, is to discard the King, thereby casting doubt in West’s mind as to whether that Queen really was a singleton, since East could easily have led the Queen from a Queen-Jack doubleton. A doubting West then might want to shift to the Ace of Diamonds in hopes of grabbing the setting trick. North will ruff and Bingo! Slam! At our table, no doubt was raised. North played the Jack. West led another Heart. East ruffed. Down one.

Headline on this hand: “Preemptive Opening Bid, Deception.”