#11 Neither Vulnerable
South West North East
1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass
2♥ Pass 2NT Pass
3♥ Pass 4♥ AP
North (dummy)
♠ 3
♥ A J 10
♦ Q 10 9
♣ K J 6 4 3 2
West East
♠ ♠ 10 9
♥ ♥ 5 3 2
♦ 3 ♦ A J 6 2
♣ ♣ A 10 9 8
South (declarer)
♠
♥
♦ 4
♣
West leads the ♦3. East wins the ♦J. The defense takes two more diamond tricks. What is East’s plan?
When dummy plays low at trick one, East plays the ♦J. The lead of a low card suggests an honor and the only honor not visible is the ♦K. After the defense cashes three diamonds, both defenders should know that South who has shown 10 major-suit cards in the bidding, has a club void. The ♣A will be ruffed!
South is known to hold 5 spades which means West also has five spades. Declarer is planning on trumping spades in dummy…A trump shift is called for to stop the spade ruffs in dummy!
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