22nd April 2020


Dealer S Game All

S AKJ6
H 852
D 109
C 10643
   


   
S Q10943
H 93
D KQ4
C AJ2

South
West
North
East
1S Pass
3C Pass
3S Pass
Pass Pass

You reach three spades on the above auction where three clubs was a four card mixed raise.
West leads the jack of diamonds won by East's ace.  East returns the jack of hearts, then the queen of hearts overtaken by West with the ace who plays a third heart to East's king which you ruff.  You draw the trumps in two rounds and then cashed the diamonds with West throwing a heart.  Then a trump to dummy with West throwing the last heart and East a diamond.  You are now down to just clubs and trumps having lost three tricks.  You play a club to the jack which West wins with the king and returns the nine of clubs.  What do you play?

Solution

The full distribution is known.  Either West has led away from the queen of clubs in which case you should play the ten, or East is down to just the queen of clubs when you must duck in dummy.  The clue is in the opening lead.  If West had been dealt the king and queen of clubs he would likely have led the king of clubs.  The full deal.



Dealer East
S
AKJ6
   
NS Vul
H
852
   
    D 109
   
    C 10643
   
S
52
    S
87
H
A10764
    H
KQJ
D
J7
    D
A86532
C
K987
    C
Q5
    S
Q10943
   
    H
93
   
    D
KQ4
   
    C
AJ2
   



Thanks to Nicholas Greer for this deal.