On this deal Italian Giorgio Duboin won the prize for the best defense of 2007 from the International Bridge Press Association. Take his East hand in a point-a-board event, where overtricks are very important. (On every board, if your team scores more points than your opponents, you get one point. A tie gains half a point; a loss, zero.)
South was in three hearts. Your partner led the club king, dropping South's queen. West shifted to the diamond two. After declarer played low from the board, how would you have planned the defense? Do not think only about this trick, but also further down the deal's road.
South's light opening bid promised 11-15 points. With 16, he would have opened one club, strong and artificial. North's two-no-trump response was natural, inviting game.
Since West had the ace and king of clubs, Duboin (East) knew that South had the ace and queen of diamonds for his opening bid. So East put in his diamond eight.
Declarer won with his queen, cashed the diamond ace, and played a third diamond to East's king. East shifted to a spade, won on the board. South ruffed a club in his hand, then played a heart to dummy's king -— Duboin ducked smoothly!
Declarer called for dummy's remaining heart, and East played his 10. South could have guaranteed his contract by playing his queen, but that would have cost an overtrick if West had the bare ace left, as seemed likely. So declarer played a low heart, going down one when West discarded. South lost one club, one diamond and three hearts.
South was in three hearts. Your partner led the club king, dropping South's queen. West shifted to the diamond two. After declarer played low from the board, how would you have planned the defense? Do not think only about this trick, but also further down the deal's road.
South's light opening bid promised 11-15 points. With 16, he would have opened one club, strong and artificial. North's two-no-trump response was natural, inviting game.
Since West had the ace and king of clubs, Duboin (East) knew that South had the ace and queen of diamonds for his opening bid. So East put in his diamond eight.
Declarer won with his queen, cashed the diamond ace, and played a third diamond to East's king. East shifted to a spade, won on the board. South ruffed a club in his hand, then played a heart to dummy's king -— Duboin ducked smoothly!
Declarer called for dummy's remaining heart, and East played his 10. South could have guaranteed his contract by playing his queen, but that would have cost an overtrick if West had the bare ace left, as seemed likely. So declarer played a low heart, going down one when West discarded. South lost one club, one diamond and three hearts.