Would you find this defense?

[Adam Lea]

An interesting hand from the novice evening, which took me a while to
work out why Deep Finesse said EW can only make 1NT:

6
K9875
A86
A652
K953 AJ7
AT43 2
T9 KQJ4
QT3 KJ987
QT842
QJ6
7532
4

EW have a combined 24 HCP, with which you would normally expect to make
2NT, and 3NT often has chances. Initially I couldn't figure out why EW
couldn't make 3NT, as it looked like if NS attacked the hearts, West
would have a second heart stop as long as they covered an honor card
with the ace. I then found out, after looking at it for a while, what
the winning defense is. NS have to make sure that West can never promote
the heart ten, and if South is on lead, they can do this by leading the
heart six. All North has to do is play anything but his king, then
return a heart, and the ten is squashed eventually. North's two aces are
sufficient to get in and enjoy the long hearts even if the suit gets
blocked. If North is on lead, the standard 4th or 5th best will do, but
if South's honor card holds (West has to duck), South has to return the
6, not the honor, and then it is the same story. If I was sitting South
at the table, led the HQ, partner encourages, and West ducks, I don't
think there is any way I would find the heart 6 as a continuation to end
up with six tricks if EW are in 2 or 3NT. Deliberately blocking the suit
gains an extra trick, too advanced for me I think.

[Charles Brenner]

Post by Adam Lea
An interesting hand from the novice evening, which took me a while to
6
K9875
A86
A652
K953 AJ7
AT43 2
T9 KQJ4
QT3 KJ987
QT842
QJ6
7532
4
EW have a combined 24 HCP, with which you would normally expect to make
2NT, and 3NT often has chances. Initially I couldn't figure out why EW
couldn't make 3NT, as it looked like if NS attacked the hearts, West
would have a second heart stop as long as they covered an honor card
with the ace. I then found out, after looking at it for a while, what
the winning defense is. NS have to make sure that West can never promote
the heart ten, and if South is on lead, they can do this by leading the
heart six. All North has to do is play anything but his king, then
return a heart, and the ten is squashed eventually. North's two aces are
sufficient to get in and enjoy the long hearts even if the suit gets
blocked. If North is on lead, the standard 4th or 5th best will do, but
if South's honor card holds (West has to duck), South has to return the
6, not the honor, and then it is the same story. If I was sitting South
at the table, led the HQ, partner encourages, and West ducks, I don't
think there is any way I would find the heart 6 as a continuation to end
up with six tricks if EW are in 2 or 3NT. Deliberately blocking the suit
gains an extra trick, too advanced for me I think.

If the first trick goes hQ, x, 9, x -- and luckily partner can easily afford the 9 -- then continuing with the h6 seems pretty clear (though depending on the bidding it may barely be plausible to hope that, if you continue with hJ, declarer will make the losing duck in the hope that opening leader has all the defensive entries).

Blocking and therefore possibly losing the chance to cash the heart suit via trick 2 h6,A ... should not be an overwhelming concern, as the defense would be even worse off -- *surely* losing the full heart suit -- if trick 2 is hJ,A ...

If trick 1 suggests that declarer may have 9x then we want to continue with the hJ, and probably if that is the layout we can diagnose it (e.g. partner encourages 8 from K87x).

[Adam Lea]

Post by Charles Brenner

Post by Adam Lea
An interesting hand from the novice evening, which took me a while to
6
K9875
A86
A652
K953 AJ7
AT43 2
T9 KQJ4
QT3 KJ987
QT842
QJ6
7532
4
EW have a combined 24 HCP, with which you would normally expect to make
2NT, and 3NT often has chances. Initially I couldn't figure out why EW
couldn't make 3NT, as it looked like if NS attacked the hearts, West
would have a second heart stop as long as they covered an honor card
with the ace. I then found out, after looking at it for a while, what
the winning defense is. NS have to make sure that West can never promote
the heart ten, and if South is on lead, they can do this by leading the
heart six. All North has to do is play anything but his king, then
return a heart, and the ten is squashed eventually. North's two aces are
sufficient to get in and enjoy the long hearts even if the suit gets
blocked. If North is on lead, the standard 4th or 5th best will do, but
if South's honor card holds (West has to duck), South has to return the
6, not the honor, and then it is the same story. If I was sitting South
at the table, led the HQ, partner encourages, and West ducks, I don't
think there is any way I would find the heart 6 as a continuation to end
up with six tricks if EW are in 2 or 3NT. Deliberately blocking the suit
gains an extra trick, too advanced for me I think.

If the first trick goes hQ, x, 9, x -- and luckily partner can easily afford the 9 -- then continuing with the h6 seems pretty clear (though depending on the bidding it may barely be plausible to hope that, if you continue with hJ, declarer will make the losing duck in the hope that opening leader has all the defensive entries).
Blocking and therefore possibly losing the chance to cash the heart suit via trick 2 h6,A ... should not be an overwhelming concern, as the defense would be even worse off -- *surely* losing the full heart suit -- if trick 2 is hJ,A ...
If trick 1 suggests that declarer may have 9x then we want to continue with the hJ, and probably if that is the layout we can diagnose it (e.g. partner encourages 8 from K87x).

It may be a bit easier if South is on lead, then he can see the ATxx in
dummy after the Q lead. It is harder if West is declarer and North leads
either 4th/5th best or the H9 (top of interior sequence), and Souths J
holds. Is it now clear for South to play the 6 instead of the Q?

[Charles Brenner]

Post by Adam Lea

Post by Charles Brenner

Post by Adam Lea
An interesting hand from the novice evening, which took me a while to
6
K9875
A86
A652
K953 AJ7
AT43 2
T9 KQJ4
QT3 KJ987
QT842
QJ6
7532
4
EW have a combined 24 HCP, with which you would normally expect to make
2NT, and 3NT often has chances. Initially I couldn't figure out why EW
couldn't make 3NT, as it looked like if NS attacked the hearts, West
would have a second heart stop as long as they covered an honor card
with the ace. I then found out, after looking at it for a while, what
the winning defense is. NS have to make sure that West can never promote
the heart ten, and if South is on lead, they can do this by leading the
heart six. All North has to do is play anything but his king, then
return a heart, and the ten is squashed eventually. North's two aces are
sufficient to get in and enjoy the long hearts even if the suit gets
blocked. If North is on lead, the standard 4th or 5th best will do, but
if South's honor card holds (West has to duck), South has to return the
6, not the honor, and then it is the same story. If I was sitting South
at the table, led the HQ, partner encourages, and West ducks, I don't
think there is any way I would find the heart 6 as a continuation to end
up with six tricks if EW are in 2 or 3NT. Deliberately blocking the suit
gains an extra trick, too advanced for me I think.

If the first trick goes hQ, x, 9, x -- and luckily partner can easily afford the 9 -- then continuing with the h6 seems pretty clear (though depending on the bidding it may barely be plausible to hope that, if you continue with hJ, declarer will make the losing duck in the hope that opening leader has all the defensive entries).
Blocking and therefore possibly losing the chance to cash the heart suit via trick 2 h6,A ... should not be an overwhelming concern, as the defense would be even worse off -- *surely* losing the full heart suit -- if trick 2 is hJ,A ...
If trick 1 suggests that declarer may have 9x then we want to continue with the hJ, and probably if that is the layout we can diagnose it (e.g. partner encourages 8 from K87x).

It may be a bit easier if South is on lead, then he can see the ATxx in
dummy after the Q lead. It is harder if West is declarer and North leads
either 4th/5th best or the H9 (top of interior sequence), and Souths J
holds. Is it now clear for South to play the 6 instead of the Q?

If East were dummy, one part of the problem would be easier. It would be easier to see that we have no re-entry and that partner might have two entries. But at least psychologically, the heart situation would be harder to visualize. First you have to think of A10xx. Then you have to consider whether partner is going to be able to imagine what you are imagining and cater accordingly. What if we continue with the 6, declarer ducks again, partner who had K10xxx wins? Will partner worry about a tricky declarer with AQxx? Deciding whether the 6 is even the right play requires weighing the possibilities of giving partner a headache. So I think you're right; it would be a harder problem with West concealed.

(True that a 9 lead would help on this hand but most of us play, rightly or wrongly, that leading 9 as top of an interior sequence would more often confuse than clarify.)