Defend with zero points

[Dave Flower]

Here's a problem I have just devised:

Bidding:

RHO LHO
1NT(12-14) 7NT

A Q 10 9
K Q J
A Q J
A K J

2
10 9 8 2
10 8 7 5
10 9 3 2

Opening lead H10.

Plan the defence

Dave Flower

[Tom]

Post by Dave Flower
RHO LHO
1NT(12-14) 7NT
A Q 10 9
K Q J
A Q J
A K J
2
10 9 8 2
10 8 7 5
10 9 3 2
Opening lead H10.
Plan the defence
Dave Flower

I must be missing something.

Opps "should" have 39-40 HCP (27+12-13) and 12 top tricks. Only defense
is if pard has SJ and declarer doesn't have HAxxxx, DKxxxx or CQxxxx.

Declarer should try set up non S fourth card suits in hand and when that
doesn't work guess in Ss since pard will have to discard. I suppose
declarer could try to cash SA, then SK discovering your stiff and then
finess pard's SJ or then try a squeeze if he has only SKx, but I see
nothing you can do to derail declarer.

[[e-mail]]

Post by Dave Flower
RHO LHO
1NT(12-14) 7NT
A Q 10 9
K Q J
A Q J
A K J
2
10 9 8 2
10 8 7 5
10 9 3 2
Opening lead H10.
Plan the defence
Dave Flower

The only thing I can see is making it hard for declarer to drop partner's club queen. So don't discard a club. What else?

Carl

[Player]

Are there 41 points in the deck Carl? How can pd have the cq? 1nt opnerhas to be 4333 with a deep s loser to have a problem.

[Player]

As any distribution apart from 4333 assures declarer of 13 tricks, (count the points), I assume Dave is suggesting some sort of false carding to give declarer a guess.

[Player]

The problem with this is that as soon as dummy appears and declarer does not claim at trick 1, it is obvious to the whole room what the problem is and falsecarding becomes mandatory from both sides of the table.

[Charles Brenner]

Post by Dave Flower
RHO LHO
1NT(12-14) 7NT
A Q 10 9
K Q J
A Q J
A K J
2
10 9 8 2
10 8 7 5
10 9 3 2
Opening lead H10.
Plan the defence
Dave Flower

We need declarer to be Kxxx, Axx, Kxx, Qxx and to guess wrong whom to play for Jxxx of spades. If my revoke on the 3rd round of clubs isn't caught we're in like Flynn. Alternatively I could follow low, low, 10 in each suit and trust to luck -- it's 50 50 anyway.

[Charles Brenner]

Post by Dave Flower
RHO LHO
1NT(12-14) 7NT
A Q 10 9
K Q J
A Q J
A K J
2
10 9 8 2
10 8 7 5
10 9 3 2
Opening lead H10.
Plan the defence
Dave Flower

Maybe I've got the idea you have in mind -- close to the opposite of what I suggested above.

If declarer learns that I led a heart from 1098, then by the principle of restricted choice declarer will be inclined to believe that I don't have 1098 of any other suit. Therefore the best cards to follow with may be the top three cards in each of my suits -- in hearts to clarify that I did lead from a solid sequence, and in clubs and diamonds so declarer will tend to place the 9 & 8 respectively with partner. If declarer then takes an agnostic random view about the location of the low spots not shown, have we tipped the odds toward long spades in my hand from declarer's point of view? Maybe. I'm not sure.