Hand of the Week, Vol. 2 No. 28

This deal from the Friday 14 August North American Pairs qualifying game is a nice example of how solid defensive carding agreements avoid unnecessary guesswork, and can even help you not be fooled by an opponent's deceptive bidding.

K 9 8 2 4 2 K 7 2 A Q 8 3
	T 7 A J 9 8 3 Q T 8 4 T 5

The bidding is short and sweet: 1C on your left, 1NT on your right, and you (South) are on lead. Naturally you lead hearts, your best suit. Dummy has a small doubleton, and you're delighted to see your partner win the first trick with the K. He continues with the Q. What now?

In principle, declarer's 1NT bid denied a 4-card major. Partner should have at least three hearts and declarer at most three. If that's the case, it doesn't matter what you do - your side will win the first five tricks, and then you will switch to a spade.

But why did partner play first the king and then the queen? His standard play is third hand high, but the lower of equal cards. From a holding of K-Q-6, he would win first the queen, then the king, then the small card to put you back in the lead to cash the rest of the suit. He has played the hearts out of order on purpose, to tell you he started with KQ doubleton.

What do you do with that information? That means partner can't continue hearts. You could overtake the second trick, but if you do, declarer's Txxx will be a stopper. If you let partner's queen hold, partner will have to break a new suit at trick three.

You can tell partner how to get you back into the lead, by giving him a suit-preference signal: a high card for a higher-ranking suit, a low card for a lower-ranking suit. Looking at the dummy, a club switch would be a terrible idea even if you had the KJ; it's a choice between spades and diamonds. You'd rather it be diamonds. Play your lowest remaining heart on the queen. (On the actual cards, it's obvious to partner to choose a diamond without your signal; on a different deal, it might be vital to save him from guessing which suit to lead.)

Dealer North NS vul	A Q 6 4 K Q 9 6 3 9 7 6 2
K 9 8 2 4 2 K 7 2 A Q 8 3		J 5 3 T 7 6 5 A J 5 K J 4
	T 7 A J 9 8 3 Q T 8 4 T 5

A diamond switch is the only way to beat 1NT: attack diamonds at trick 3; eventually win the Q and lead another diamond; if necessary, win the A and lead a third diamond, putting South in. Declarer has 4 club tricks and 2 diamond tricks. You have to set up South's QT before declarer can win a spade trick.

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