An Unhelpful Partner

Pages: Page 6 of 6

Dealer: East
Vuln: N-S
Scoring: Pairs
  1. spade7 4
  2. heartK 6
  3. diamondA Q 9 8 2
  4. clubA Q 6 5
  1. spadeA K 8 6 5
  2. heart10 7 5
  3. diamond10
  4. clubJ 10 8 3
club diamond heart spade NT
N - 2 - - -
S - 2 - - -
E 1 - 1 2 2
W 1 - 1 2 2
Green square in centre
  1. spadeQ J 10
  2. heartJ 9 4 2
  3. diamondK J 7
  4. clubK 9 2

Contract: 3diamond
Declarer: South
Lead: spadeK
  1. spade9 3 2
  2. heartA Q 8 3
  3. diamond6 5 4 3
  4. club7 4
Double dummy analyser: makeable contracts
West North East South
1NT Pass
2heart* Pass 2spade Pass
Pass 2NT~ Pass 3diamond
Pass Pass Pass

* transfer
~ minors

I think this is a real stinker, for the natural inclination of a good player would be to look for an excuse to switch at trick two, but that would not be right here. A weak player would cash spadeA and wonder what to do next, yet that would be spot on. At the table West switched to a heart and away went dummy's second spade on heartQ. A club finesse lost to East who returned another club. Declarer ruffed both clubs in hand and eventually lost two diamonds, but that was still 110 to North-South.

If West cashes spadeA at trick two then East's spadeJ will ask for a club switch - that will lead to one off and plus 200 to East-West.
Maybe East should just simplay follw with spadeQ at trick one . West will underlead his king and that should lead safely to +100 for the defence.
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