On May 4, 4:06=A0pm, henrysun...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote:
> On May 3, 5:34 pm, henrysun...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > You hold, against a top notch expert pair, the following:
>
> > xxxx
> > KJTx
> > KJ98x
> > VOID
>
> > And hear this auction (you and partner are silent):
>
> > Opener =A0 =A0 Responder
> > 1c(1) =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 1d(2)
> > 2s(3) =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 2nt(4)
> > 3c(5) =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 4c(6)
> > 5nt(7) =A0 =A0 =A0 =A07c(8)
> > all pass
>
> > 1c =3D Precision
> > 1d =3D negative
> > 2s =3D natural, GF
> > 2nt =3D neutral
> > 3c =3D second suit
> > 4c =3D sup****t
> > 5nt =3D grand slam try
> > 7c =3D accepted
>
> > How would you are a spade lead, a heart lead, and a diamond lead?
>
> > The hand and accompanying story to follow anon.
>
> > Henrysun909
>
> Thanks to all who responded. =A0Here is the full hand (see April 2008
> Bridge World) and my observation:
>
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0T2
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Q6
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Q542
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 QT985
>
> 764 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0
=
=A0 =A0 =A0J5
> JT952 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0
=A0 =
=A0K843
> KJ98 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0
=
=A0 =A0AT763
> K =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0
=A0 =
=A0 =A0 =A0 64
>
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0AKQ983
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0A7
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 VOID
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0AJ732
>
> Auction (repeated for convenience):
>
> 1c =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A01d
> 2s =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A02nt
> 3c =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A04c
> 5nt =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 7c
>
> Author Rosenberg writes,
>
> One North-South pair in the Bermuda Bowl reached seven clubs, which
> was destined to succeed. =A0Or was it? =A0In the Venice Cup ... one
South
> reached seven clubs [on the auction above]. =A0On the heart jack lead,
> declarer covered with dummy's queen, but East, England's Michelle
> Brunner, _ducked_. =A0Declarer found herself "conveniently" in dummy to
> take the trump finesse. =A0This deserved to win the award for the Best
> Defense of the tournament. =A0Since there was no such awards, applause
> will need to suffice.
>
> **********
>
> There is no doubt that Brunner's ducking of the KH was a brilliancy,
> but I am not convinced that South should not have sniffed it out
> anyway. =A0Would West, on the actual auction, really be leading from the
> KJT of hearts? =A0Note that I constructed the hand in such a way as to
> provide no really safe leads; =A0a spade lead is going straight into
> declarer's main suit and a diamond lead, like hearts, is from the
> King. =A0Had West held the JT9 of diamonds and the KJT of hearts, I have
> no doubt that everyone would have led a diamond.
>
> So the point of the post was simply this: =A0If, holding a hand with a
> club void (to justify the non-trump lead) and the KJT of hearts, we
> are not leading hearts, then it is at least reasonable for declarer to
> ask whether it is more likely that West has made a very dangerous lead
> against 7C or that East has ducked to give declarer an entry for a
> losing club finesse.
>
> My money would be on the duck by East being more likely by a pretty
> big margin over a lead away from the KJT.
>
> Henrysun909-
I don't think ducking the heart king is that difficult of a play to
find.
If declarer has no trump loser and a heart loser he can be counted for
13 tricks.
i.e. six spades, five trumps, heart ace, and a heart ruff after
discarding a heart on the dummy running the spades.
Consequently, ducking the heart queen is a free shot to allow declarer
to go possibly wrong in trumps.
Eric Leong
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