#4 Both Vulnerable
West North East South
1♥ Pass 2♥ AP
North leads the ♠J.
What is South’s plan?
North
♠ J
♥
♦
♣
West (Declarer) East (Dummy)
♠ ♠ K Q 4 2
♥ ♥ Q 8 5
♦ ♦ 10 6
♣ ♣ Q 6 3 2
South
♠ A 7 5
♥ 6 2
♦ Q 8 5 3
♣ K J 10 9
As South, ask yourself how can declarer use this dummy? There are three possibilities: 1) Long Suit Development, 2) Trumping Losers, and 3) Neither – Dummy is balanced. On this hand, long suit establishment is out because South has clubs locked up and partner appears to have the spades locked up too. However, declarer can trump a diamond or two in the dummy. Your counter move is to win the ♠A and shift to a low heart at trick 2. As North, if partner switches to a low heart and declarer ducks, win the ♥K and follow partner’s defense by continuing with a heart. When later on lead with diamonds, play a third heart – killing any diamond ruff possibilities!
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