Protect thine partner

May 2, 2007
Laurel MD
Open Pairs
Matchpoints

33.	K Q J 10 8 7 9 7 2 Q J 3 2
9 5 4 3 6 3 A J A K 8 7 6		10 7 K Q J 9 2 10 5 4 10 9 5
None Vul	A 8 6 2 A 5 4 K Q 8 6 3 4

West 2 All Pass

Me North Pass Pass

East Pass Pass

Dad South 1 Dbl

2 x by West

Partner leads the K and you encourage with the 2 (UDCA), declarer playing the 3. Partner switches to the d2 (3/5) and your Q forces declarer's A. He plays the h3 to partner's h8, dummy's K and you duck. He plays the Q off dummy and you win your A, declarer dropping the 6 and partner the 7. You cash the K, declarer dropping the J and partner the 7. Now what?

Solution: Partner is a passed hand, and he seems to have showed up with the K, Q and possibly the J. He is marked with 3334 shape on the bidding and play so far, since he must have at least 4 trumps to be passing here, and he must have at least 3 spades, since declarer can't have 5. His trump holding can't really be promoted, since the T9 are in dummy - and if he has KJ, or AJ, nothing matters. However, if he has QJxx, then he is in danger of being endplayed out of his second trump trick. If you passively return a trump, declarer will win, play a spade. Whoever wins it, he will ruff a spade in dummy, cash a red suit winner and ruff the other, stripping your partner down to QJx of trumps, while declarer has K8x and dummy the T. He will lead towards the T in dummy and partner will be forced to win and lead into declarer's tenace at the 12th trick. In order to avoid this, you must make the counter-intuitive play of leading a diamond at this point. Declarer cannot pitch more than two spades from his hand on his red suit winners without allowing you to trump in. You will have an entry on the second spade in order to lead a 4th round of diamonds. If declarer ruffs high, and partner will have a safe exit card whether declarer ruffs high or low (either a spade or a small trump).