Seeing Through Cards #9

Dealer North, N-S vul


Against 4♠, West leads the ♥J.

1. How is the heart suit divided?
2. Where is the ♥K?
3. Where is the ♥10?
4. What is the only chance to make the contract?

Solution:

1. How is the heart suit divided?
   5 with East, 3 with West, according to the bidding.
2. Where is the ♥K?
   With East. East would not have overcalled without at least 1 honor (normally 2 honors required).
3. Where is the ♥10?
   With West. With Jxx, and without the ♥10, West would have lead a low heart.
4. What is the only chance to make the contract?
   You have 4 immediate losers and if you will lose a trick, your opponents will be wise enough to cash 3 diamonds and the ♣A. So you need to find a way to get rid of 1 of them. If you ruff 2 hearts, you will drop the ♥10 from West's hand. There is a chance to promote your ♥9 but for that you will need another 2 entries to dummy:
   
   Win the ♥A and ruff a heart. Continue with spade and when West will play low , try the ♠9 (!) to finesse his ♠10. That is your only chance! When the ♠9 wins, play the ♥Q and ruff it when East covers with his ♥K. The ♥10 falls from West's hand and your ♥9 is high now. Enter dummy with the ♠A and throw 1 diamond loser on your high ♥9. You will lose 2 diamonds and the ♣A.

Things to remember:

• When you lead to a suit your partner bid:
  
  • XX: With a doubleton , lead the high card first.
  • J10X: With a sequence of 2 or more - lead top of sequence.
  • XXX / XXXX : With 3 or more low cards - lead the 2nd high card.
  • KXX / KXXX : With 3 or more cards which include an honor - lead the lowest card.
• South's 1♠ bid (after a 1♥ overcall) shows 5 cards. With 4 spades he should've doubled (negative double) .
• Never bid an overcall with a poor suit. If you are finally on defense , your partner would normally lead your suit. Bidding it with a bad suit, might cause damage for the defense (also here, the heart suit was not good, and defenders can set the contract with another lead).
• When you play a contract and you see only 1 chance to make it - Go for it, even if your chances are low and even if it might cause you to lose another trick. (Sure thing at IMPs. At MPs, you need to reconsider.) Like here, if the spade finesse will fail, you will go 2 down.
• Always think about the timing of the hand: When to play which suit, when to win/give up a trick and how many entries are needed.