posted June 2009
MP Tournament
You are EAST, defending. The bidding and trick 1 is shown.
QUIZ: Your play to trick 2, and why?
SOLUTION:
First we have to study the bidding, lead, and dummy, and decipher what is going on.
- Declarer must have 5 hearts, else he would choose NT or clubs;
- Declarer must have 3 clubs. If he had 4, partner has a stiff and that's what he would lead. If declarer had 5 clubs (and partner has a void), partner would have raised diamonds (4+) or bid spades (6+) - try and work out partner's distribution...
- Partner had an easy 1
bid if he 6+ spades - therefore declarer has 3 spades; - Partner had an easy 2
raise if he had 4(+) support - therefore partner has 3 (he led the 3) and declarer has 2.
Elementary, my Dear Watson.... the hands must be...
North
S A5
H AJ7
D A94
C AQ752
West East
S Q10863 S K74
H 954 H K8
D Q103 D K7652
C J9 C 864
South
S J92
H Q10632
D J8
C K103
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This is MPs... and just as important to defeating a contract is to limit the number of tricks.
In the event, 1 pair made 4
+2 after a misdefense; 16 made 4+1; 2 made 3NT; and 4 went 1-down in 3NT.
If you returned a spade at trick 2, you will limit declarer to 10 tricks and you will get a 68% score. Return anything else and declarer makes 11 tricks and this yields a 20% score to you.
I prefer a small spade to the King since declarer can have Q10x in spades and misguess.
