Thorny Problem

Pages: Page 6 of 6

Dealer: East
Vuln: N-S
Scoring: IMPs
  1. spade7 5 3 2
  2. heart3
  3. diamondA K
  4. clubA Q 10 7 5 4
  1. spade10
  2. heartA
  3. diamondQ J 10 8 5 3 2
  4. clubK J 9 6
club diamond heart spade NT
N 2 - 3 4 1
S 2 - 3 4 1
E - 3 - - -
W - 3 - - -
Green square in centre
  1. spadeA 9 6 4
  2. heartK 9 8 4
  3. diamond9 7 4
  4. club8 2

Contract: 4heartx
Declarer: South
Lead: spade10
  1. spadeK Q J 8
  2. heartQ J 10 7 6 5 2
  3. diamond6
  4. club3
Double dummy analyser: makeable contracts
West North East South
Pass Pass
1diamond 2club Dble* 4heart
Pass Pass Dble Pass
Pass Pass

* negative

Did you find the correct line of playing low? Surely East cannot have both heart honours for that leaves West with a very poor opening bid. Nevertheless, both East's negative and final doubles point to a four card trump holding - and that makes the winning play quite clear.

Had East continued with a spade at trick two then the defence would have prevailed. West ruffs with heartA and when eventually declarer leads heart3 from dummy East inserts the eight or nine. South does not have the necessary entries to shorten his hearts for a trump coup and must concede two trump tricks.
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