{"id":84930,"date":"2024-02-01T09:55:29","date_gmt":"2024-02-01T08:55:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/funbridge.com\/blog\/?p=84930"},"modified":"2024-02-01T09:59:47","modified_gmt":"2024-02-01T08:59:47","slug":"obstacle-courses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/funbridge.com\/blog\/en\/obstacle-courses\/","title":{"rendered":"Obstacle courses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Obstacles<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

This month, you’ll solve a defensive problem which is often treated the wrong way at the table but which becomes completely approchable if you take the trouble to ask yourself the right questions. You are sitting South in a teams match and hold the following hand:<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

A quick auction results in 6 Spades by East:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
(*) Bicolore majeur.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

What do you lead?<\/strong>
Leading the singleton trump (2 points) is dangerous because it may doom your partner\u2019s honor. A Heart lead (2 points) can only help declarer develop dummy\u2019s second suit, promised with his 4♦ bid (major two-suiter). The lead of the Jack of Diamonds (8 points) has the merit of being neutral and sometimes establishing the setting trick (with the Queen doubleton in dummy and the King in partner\u2019s hand) before declarer sets up his Clubs. The risk, however, is to see the trick you could take with the Club Ace vanish into thin air \u2013 or even your two immediate tricks, which can happen when your opponents bid a slam without going through a cue-bidding sequence. In the end, leading the Ace of Clubs (10 points) wins by a little margin. You discover the dummy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Partner follows with the Queen of Clubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does this mean? What do you play next?<\/strong>
When dummy has a singleton in the suit of the opening lead, partner\u2019s card is preferential (4 points), except when it is the Queen (or King), simply showing a sequence (8 points): this can help partner to continue the suit without risk. You have no reason to \u201cget wet\u201d: it is best to remain neutral by switching to the Jack of Diamonds (10 points). It\u2019s impossible that partner can get a Heart ruff if you play a Heart now (6 points) because, for this, declarer would need four Hearts and would have bid 4♥ over 4♦. When it comes to playing a trump (2 points) or a Club (5 points), they are both likely to help declarer. The latter wins your Diamond switch with the Ace and plays Ace and Jack of Spades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far, which honors do you know about in declarer\u2019s hand?<\/strong>
He has just shown the Ace and the Jack of Spades (2×2 gift points). At trick one you learned that partner held the Queen-Jack of Clubs, so declarer has the King (2 points). The exact distribution of the red suits is unknown at this point, but East\u2019s answer to RKCB tells us he has both red Aces (2×2 points).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who must have the Queen of Hearts?<\/strong>
Declarer has no more losers outside Hearts. If however, he holds the Heart Ace and Queen, he has six Heart tricks. By hypothesis of necessity, this means your partner must hold the Queen of Hearts (10 points).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How must the hidden Hearts be divided?<\/strong>
There are four Hearts hidden, including North\u2019s Queen and East\u2019s Ace. The latter has opened 2NT, so he has a balanced hand \u2013 in other words two or three cards in the suit. If he only has two, you have no hope of beating this since all he needs to do is ruff a Heart to set up the suit. It is therefore necessary that he has three Hearts for you to have a chance (10 points).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where are the King and Queen of Diamonds?<\/strong>
You have 6HCP, you count 8 in dummy and declarer has promised 20: your partner has a maximum of 6, so at best a Jack in addition to the Queen-Jack of Clubs and the Queen of Hearts. This means East has King-Queen of Diamonds (2×5 points).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How many tricks does declarer have?<\/strong>
You now know about all his honors. With the help of dummy, he has eleven top tricks (10 points): five Spades, two Hearts, three Diamonds and a Club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How many Clubs must declarer have?<\/strong>
If declarer has four Clubs, your partner only has three, at best QJ10. As the highest card you have left is the 8, declarer will then easily find his twelfth trick by ruffing two Clubs and setting up his 9. By hypothesis of necessity (another one), declarer must not have started with more than three Clubs (10 points). Unfortunately for him, Hearts break badly and he has no classic means of looking for his twelfth trick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bonus question: Do you know an unusual way to establish an extra trick? And which (other) card may declarer not have?<\/strong>
Have you ever heard of squeezes (10 bonus points), this strange maneuver that allows you to get an additional trick, which seems to materialize out of nowhere? You are the only one to guard the Hearts. If you are also the only one to guard the Diamonds, then declarer can draw all of dummy\u2019s trumps, return to the hand with the Ace of Hearts, then cash King-Queen of Diamonds and finally the King of Clubs (the famous squeeze card), making it impossible for you to keep two Hearts and your Diamond guard. This diabolical scenario can only occur if East has four Diamonds (AKQx), the small card being higher than your partner\u2019s. The dan\u0002gerous card is therefore the 7 of Diamonds (10 bonus points)! Let\u2019s get back to the deal. After Ace-Jack of Spades, declarer plays another Spade and runs all of dummy\u2019s trumps (he had four).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are your discards?<\/strong>
Declarer can\u2019t squeeze you thanks to your partner\u2019s valuable Diamond 7. However, put yourself in the shoes of your partner who will have to discard twice on the run of dummy\u2019s Spades: isn\u2019t it human to get rid of his anemic Diamonds? Your duty (and your interest!) is to help him hold onto the Diamonds by discarding yours as quickly as possible, without forgetting to indicate your current count. On the Jack of Spades, you discard the 8 of Diamonds (12 points) and then the 9 of Diamonds before discarding your useless Clubs. Here is the full deal, warranting your analysis:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n