Test Your Defense
IMPs. NS Vul. N deals.
Auction: 2C – P – 2S – P – 2NT – P – 3S (sign-off) – P – P – P.
N: A73, AKJ, AKJ6, Q86
W (you): 54, Q2, Q97, AK10953
You lead the Ace of clubs, P plays the Jack and declarer plays the 4. Now what?
Solution: Your only chance is to get five tricks in the black suits so P must have the King and Queen of spades and declarer must have three clubs. If you continue with the King of clubs and give P a ruff then declarer will make since, having no hand entries, he will cash the spade Ace and drop one of P’s honors. If you discontinue clubs, again declarer will cash the spade Ace and lead a spade after which your P will have to lead a red card and declarer will again make. So, your only chance is to lead the 10 of clubs at trick two. Declarer may very well play east for the doubleton King-Jack and duck! If not, it only costs an overtrick.
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Bridge-related
Where is the fifth trick coming from? Assuming partner has no more than two spades (meaning declarer has at least six spades) from the auction, then how will he get more than one trick from his KQ tight? Even a fourth round of clubs will not promote a second trump trick, unless declarer decides to ruff with the SA.
Declarer needn’t have six spades from the auction. One should always play in a five card suit rather than NT with an entry-less hand. At the very least it will provide two extra tricks in your suit, not to mention the ability to take finesses in other suits if needed.