MSB

School of Bridge

Quiz9 Question1 Deductions from the bidding

As West you arrive in 4♠ after North has opened 1♦ and south has passed:

N

1♦

P

P

E

P

4♠


S

P

P


W

1♠

P

How do you play it when North leads the ♥Q?

  • ♠AQ754
  • ♥865
  • ♦K32
  • ♣K4
  • ♠J1098
  • ♥K97
  • ♦A5
  • ♣A932

Possible Answers

a)Play the ♥K on the first round, and if it loses to south’s ace then take the spade finesse later on, by running the jack round

b)Play the ♥K on the 2nd round, and if it loses to south’s ace take the spade finesse by leading low to the queen

c)Play the ♥K on the 3rd round and if it loses to south’s ace play the ace of trumps on the first round hoping to drop the king.

The Answer

Answer c)

You know that south has the ♥A and hope that it is a singleton heart(most unlikely) or doubleton heart and that she has to play it on the first or second round.
If this doesn't happen and south captures your ♥K on the third round then you will have to bring in the spades for no losers.
Now as south has shown up with 4 points (the ♥A ) and passed her partner's opening bid she cannot have the ♠K otherwise she would have had 7 points and would have responded.
Therefore the only hope is that north has only a singleton ♠K and it will fall when we play our ♠A.