Search for the Queen #2

Note: This is an intermediate level problem.

West's X is a support double, showing 3 cards in hearts.

West leads ♦AK on which East follows once and discards a spade later. West continues with the ♦5. You want to say something to your partner about his raise but he already has left to smoke (there, you got your answer...). So... you are alone now and you try the ♦10 but East ruffs and continues with a low heart.

1. How many diamonds does East have?
2. How many hearts does East have?
3. How many spades does East have?
4. How many clubs does East have?
5. Will you win? If yes, what will you play next? If not – Why not?
6. You won the ♥A. Where is the ♣Q?
7. How will you tackle clubs?

Answers

1. How many diamonds does East have?
   One. He followed diamonds only once.
2. How many hearts does East have?
   Four. Since West’s double shows 3 hearts, and you and dummy also have 3 hearts each, East must have exactly 4 cards.
3. How many spades does East have?
   Four. E-W have 8 cards in spades, which must be divided 4-4. If West would have had 5 spades, he would have opened 1♠. If East would have had 5 spades, he would have responded 1♠. Therefore, spades must be 4-4.
4. How many clubs does East have?
   Four.
5. Will you win? If yes, what will you play next? If not – Why not?
   You’ve lost already 3 tricks and you still have another 2 heart losers and a club loser. To make your contract you need to find and catch the ♣Q and after drawing trumps to throw a heart loser on the ♦Q. Therefore you must win the ♥A, else West will win the trick and continue with another diamond, on which East will ruff again. You will be able to over ruff but now you will always lose 2 heart tricks and go down.
6. You won the ♥A. Where is the ♣Q?
   Most likely with East, as clubs split 1-4 (4 with East).
7. How will you tackle clubs?
   After winning the ♥A, play a club to the ♣K. If West’s singleton club is the ♣Q, it will fall now. Otherwise, play another club from dummy and finesse against East. Draw his last trump too, go back to dummy with spade and pitch a heart loser on the ♦Q.

Click the Next button in the diagram to follow the play.

Things to remember:

• With two 4-carder suits, bid the lower one first (with 5-5 bid the highest first).
• Support double is a valuable weapon! You use it as opener, after Pass from left, one of a major from your partner (which shows at least 4 cards) and an overcall from your right opponent. Double now will show exactly 3 cards in partner’s suit (and encourage him to rebid his suit with 5 cards). A direct raise in partner's suit will show 4 cards and any other bid (NT, return to your suit, new suit or even Pass) will deny 3 cards in his suit (so partner will know that rebidding his suit with 5 cards won't help).
• If East-West end up in 3♠, the defense can set if they play spades fast enough: ♠AK and a third spade will allow the defense to win a diamond trick (or a 2nd club).