Hand of the day #614
You can now play the hand of the day on BBO+ and compare how you get on with the...
This conundrum was written by Patrick O'Connor and was originally published in the book A Second Book of Bridge Problems - you can find out all about it further down the page.
You are East. South is declarer in 3NT. Partner leads the ♥2.
West leads the ♥2, which you win with the ♥A.
Plan the defense.
Partner’s ♥2 is probably from a four-card suit. Dummy has three hearts and you have two, so declarer will have four. Which card will you play to the second trick?
Declarer and dummy have seven hearts between them so this is their suit. You need partner to have started with ♥KQ102 to score four tricks there, and he would have led the ♥K from that holding. You need tricks elsewhere to defeat this contract.
Which suit should you switch to? Dummy’s diamonds and clubs look strong so the only feasible switch is to spades. You have an attractive sequence headed by the ♠Q, so it is the card to play. If declarer ducks the ♠Q you will continue with the ♠J. In fact whatever declarer does, your side will make four spade tricks and defeat the contract.
If you had continued hearts, declarer would have made nine tricks.
Key Point
Don’t return partner’s suit if it cannot provide the tricks you need.
Like the author's first book (A First Book of Bridge Problems, named Book of the Year for 2012 by the American Bridge Teachers Association), this sequel comprises fifty problems in declarer play and defense for the beginning or near-beginning player, presented in approximate order of difficulty. The problems are slightly more advanced than those in the first book. Experienced players recognize certain standard situations without having to work them out. This does not apply to novices, who spend a lot of mental effort on them. The aim of the book is to get novices to develop their recognition of these situations. The idea is to present bridge hands as the reader would encounter them playing at the table. Unlike in a textbook, where topics are introduced systematically, there is no clue as to what type of play is required. Winner of the 2014 ABTA Book of the Year of the Award in the Beginner/Novice category!
