Trick 1 Decisions - Part 2

If you enjoyed Part 1 of this test, lets go ahead with more hands. And remember! After you see the dummy, before you play to the first trick....

STOP!!!

• Count your tricks and your losers.
• Plan your play.
• Plan your entries.
• Ask your opponents about their leads and carding system.

And only then start to play.

Try to make your decision before you look at the solution. No peeking!
The following hands are your test. Give yourself 10 point for each time you made the contract, and 0 for making the wrong decision. Be honest! Did you score well?

For the purpose of this test we'll assume, about the leads:

• 4th best against NT always promises an honor, denies sequence (3cards sequence, full or broken vs NT, and 2 card sequence vs trump).
• Low lead in Partner's suit promises honor.
• 2nd best from a suit without honor.
• 10 and 9 leads are either top of nothing (1098x, 987x) or 2 higher (KJ10xx, Q109xx)

Start the test now!

11. You are defending 4♠ after you opened 1♦ and partner supported with 2♦ (declarer overcalled 1♠ and after his partner supported with 2♠ he bid 4♠). Partner leads the ♦Q. What do you do?

Overtake with the ♦K and switch to the ♥K. Getting a Heart ruff is the only way to set, as declarer has surely at most one diamond card. There is room for your Partner to have one ace and you must hope it is the ♥A.

If you play the ♥K now, defense will get the ♦K, ♥AK and a Heart ruff.

If partner has ♣A you cannot set: defense will get ♣AK and one diamond trick. Declarer will successfully finesse your ♥K after pulling trumps.

12. You play 6♠ on a Club lead. What do you do?

Ruff with the ♠A (!) at trick 1 and play spades. That way you manage to pull out trumps without losing control. You make 4 Spades, 1 Club ruffed, 5 Diamonds, 1 Club and 1 Heart = 12 tricks.

If you ruff low, cash the ♠A, play club to Ace and then another spade – East will win the K, and cash ♣KQ. If you try ♥A and a heart ruff to return to hand and play spade – East will get the ♠K and play another heart. You would need to ruff again and lose control over the hand.

13. You opened 1♠ and opponents reached 3NT after South bid Club twice (6 cards) and showed a Spade stopper. Partner lead the 2♠.What do you do?

It is likely that declarer has 8 top tricks + a Spade stopper, so if you continue spades, and declarer takes his trick, he might get 9 tricks. Also, Partner's lead suggest he has a Spade honor and you need to hope it is the ♠K. So, win the ♠A, play the ♥K and then continue with the ♠9. Partner will take the ♠K, play the ♥J, and defense will get 2 Spades and 3 Hearts tricks.

14. You play 6♥ and West leads a trump. What do you do?

Beware! If you win the first trick in dummy, and try the Club finesse - West will win and you will go down. Club ruff will not help you now because you need to ruff high and this promotes a trump trick for the opponents.

Your best chance is to ruff Club in hand. Having entry problems, you need to win trick one in hand and play ♣AQ, giving up the Club finesse. North will win the ♣K and return another Heart, but you win in hand again, play Diamond to the ♦J, ruff a Club with your low Heart, return to dummy with the ♦Q, and play the ♥Q to draw opponents' last trump. Your Spade loser will go on the 4th Diamond.

Don't try to to win in hand and play Diamond to ♦J for a Club finesse. North will win and play Hearts and you will take in hand, play ♣A, Diamond to ♦Q, Club ruff. But now you don't have entry to dummy and North will get to ruff the 3rd Diamond.

15. South plays 3NT after the auction shown below. Partner leads the ♠5 and declarer plays low from dummy. What do you do?

From the bidding, it's clear that South can't have more than 2 Spades, which means Partner has at least 5 cards. Therefore, win the ♠A (!) and continue with the ♠J. Partner should overtake with the ♠K and play the ♠8. That way defense can get 4 Spades tricks + the ♥A. If you play the ♠J at trick one you will win it cheap, but you will block the suit and defense will get only 3 Spade tricks.

16. You reached an ambitious 3NT and you got a Spade lead. What do you do?

Careful! The Diamond suit is blocked and you must get 6 Diamonds tricks! Take the first Spade with the ♠Q and continue with the ♠2 (!) throwing Diamonds from dummy. If opponents win and continue Spades, take the ♠A, throwing another Diamond. You have now 6 Diamonds tricks, 1 Heart and 2 Spade tricks. IF opponents play Heart or Diamond, win in dummy, play ♦AK, throw last Diamond on ♠A and your Diamonds are good.

17. South plays 3NT (bidding went 1NT-3NT) and Partner leads the ♥J. What do you do?

As South opened 1NT, it is obvious that the ♥J is partner's only point... So, the only way to beat the contract is to kill dummy. Win the ♥A and play the ♠J, dummy will win with the ♠Q (else you continue Spades) but when he tries Diamonds, you hold up twice. Declarer has now only 1 Spade, 2 Hearts, 3 Clubs, and 2 Diamonds.

18. You play 3NT and West leads a low Spade to East's ♠Q. What do you do?

If you win it with the ♠K and the Diamond finesse fails, East will return Spade and you will lose another 4 Spade tricks.

You must therefore let the ♠Q win at trick 1 and also play low at trick 2! If you cover the ♠J at trick 2, West will let you win (!) to preserve a 3rd Spade in East's hand. Then, when East gets the hand with the ♦K, he plays back his 3rd Spade and defense will get 3 more Spade tricks.

When you hold up twice, keeping ♠KJ, you manage to cut communication in case East gets the lead. That way defense wins just 3 Spades and the ♦K. It would be safe to take ♠K at trick one if Diamond finesse would be to West's direction as the ♠J would protect you from Spade continuation then (coming from West's hand).

19. You are in 6♠. West, who opened the bidding with 1♥, lead the ♠J. Obviously, all the missing points are with West, so finesses are useless. What do you do?

This is an entry-planning problem. Win the lead with the ♠Q and keep the ♠2 in hand! Play ♦AQ, and throw 2 Clubs from hand. West wins with the ♦K and plays a third round of diamonds. Win the ♦J and throw the ♣Q from hand. Play Club to the ♣A, ♠10 to dummy's ♠A, Club ruff, ♠7 to dummy's ♠8, a 3rd Club ruff, and finally the ♠2 to dummy's ♠4 to win the promoted ♣9, throwing the ♥Q from hand.

20. You play 3NT on a ♦9 lead (top of sequence or 2 higher cards). What do you do?

If you play the ♦10, East will cover, you win the ♦A and try the Spade finesse. East wins the ♠K, switch to Heart and West takes the ♥K, continue the ♦8, and defense takes 3 Diamond tricks.

It is important to play a low diamond from dummy at trick one! Win the ♦A, try Spade and Heart finesses, but when they both fail and West continues Diamonds, you can cover now with the ♦10. That way you will not lose 3 Diamond tricks.

Notice! You don't need 2 Diamond tricks to make the contract. But, you cannot afford to lose 3.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of the test!