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Finding the Best Defence.

Quite often in this feature, we focus on the declarer trying find ways they can best make their contract. Not, though, today. West players will, we hope, regret having opened the bidding either with 1C and rebidding 1NT after their partner’s 1 call or, if their opening 1NT promised 15-17 hcp, by opening 1NT and playing there. Either way, it is your lead to 1NT. What would be your choice?

 

1 promised at least 3 clubs and the 1NT rebid 15-17 hcp. It is your lead with the above hand.

Even if West had opened 1, the club suit looks like the best place for North to attack. The question is which club should North lead. With no outside entry, North should start with J, prepared to lose the lead to Q but hopeful their partner held at least 2 clubs, enabling North to take 4 club tricks unhindered when South gained the lead.

However, here, it is very likely North does have an outside entry. By passing 1NT, the East hand is quite weak in hcp and probably does not hold A. Therefore, K should be an entry. So, in that case, you can afford to lead A and review the situation after trick 1. North may choose to continue clubs or to switch if the Q did not appear. On this occasion, the news was very good for the defence:

 

It was obvious for North to continue with four winning club tricks. Meanwhile, the declarer has to find discards of their own….three diamonds from dummy and a spade from their own hand. If West threw a diamond instead of a spade, they could even go 4 down (5 losers in each minor).

 The next problem for the defence was for North to find the best continuation. Could South help them? South would need to guard the spade suit and therefore can afford to throw diamonds or hearts. All will be well if North lays down K (to be followed by a diamond to the ace) but if North exits 6, South must not play Q or else declarer makes 8 tricks (4 in each major). Requesting a diamond will ensure the contract is beaten but almost certainly only by 1 trick.

If North exits a heart, or South withholds Q (good defence), the contract should be beaten as long as South does not discard a spade. If West decides to take the spade finesse through North, it will be beaten by several tricks. Note if South plays low after their partner leads 6, West must win A or else they will be trapped in their hand after cashing 5 winning tricks. 

Several declarers failed by more than one trick, some as many as 3 down. A few even made the contract which should not happen as long as North gets off to the right initial lead. Did you?

Richard Solomon

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