Defenders Rule

Pages: Page 4 of 4

Dealer: North
Vuln: Game All
Scoring: Pairs
  1. spade9 4
  2. heartA 3
  3. diamondK Q J 10 9 5
  4. club10 9 2
  1. spadeJ 10 7 2
  2. heart10 8 4
  3. diamondA 7 4 2
  4. club8 7
club diamond heart spade NT
N - 4 1 3 1
S - 4 1 2 1
E - - - - -
W - - - - -
Green square in centre
  1. spade6 5
  2. heartK J 7 2
  3. diamond6 3
  4. clubA Q J 4 3

Contract: 3NT
Declarer: South
Lead: club8
  1. spadeA K Q 8 3
  2. heartQ 9 6 5
  3. diamond8
  4. clubK 6 5
Double dummy analyser: makeable contracts
West North East South
1diamond 2club 2spade
Pass 3diamond Pass 3heart
Pass 3spade Pass 3NT
Pass Pass Pass
Joe decided that there was no chance to beat this contract if dummy's diamonds were allowed to be established and promptly plonked the heartK on the table. What could declarer do? If he won, dummy's diamonds were stone dead and if he ducked, another heart would lead to the same thing.

The immediate reaction on seeing the defence is that the contract would also be defeated if Joe had won at trick one and immediately switched to the heartK. What do you think? Declarer ducks, wins heartA and knocks out diamondA. After cashing all his winners, he exits with a spade to West who has to give dummy the last three tricks.

OK? No! West unblocks all his spades and South is left on lead and has to surrender the last three tricks to East! Joe's defence was better - it led to three off!
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