[inquiry]

Beginner/early intermediate problem

IMPS
VUL BOTH
DLR North
                North
                S - JT4
                H - 5
                D - Q942
                C - AKQT3

WEST (you)
S - AKQ653
H - Q4
D - K8
C - 972

North  East  South    You
 1C      P    1H      1S
 2C     2S    4H      4S
  X      P    6H      All Pass

Opening lead SPADE -ACE to 4, 2, 9

Plan  your Defense.

[inquiry]

List of those sending correct answer (will be updated as right answers come in).


Rain (no longer can be called novice   )
ejfree

[inquiry]

Beginner/early intermediate problem

IMPS
VUL BOTH
DLR North
                North
                S - JT4
                H - 5
                D - Q942
                C - AKQT3

WEST (you)
S - AKQ653
H - Q4
D - K8
C - 972

North  East  South    You
 1C      P    1H      1S
 2C     2S    4H      4S
  X      P    6H      All Pass

Opening lead SPADE -ACE to 4, 2, 9

Plan  your Defense.

Solution given below
This would be even more challenging perhaps as a 4H contract. The fact is, NS will make either 9 or 12 tricks depending upon your next lead. Your partner had something for his 4S bid, and it included so far only 3 small spades. The most he can hold in clubs is the JACK. So for his 2S bid, you think he must also hold some more hcp somewhere in a red suit. If they are in hearts (King or Ace) 6H is for sure going down. If it is the HEART ACE, he will win it, and if it is the HEART KING, it will set up your HEART QUEEN. But what if his "points" for his 2S raise is the DIAMOND ACE?

If you don't lead a diamond right now, South with seven hearts to the AKJ and two or three clubs (or singleton J) might quess you lack the AK of diamonds and so play HEART AK dropping your queen and will be able to score 7 HEARTS + 5 CLUBS for 12 tricks. And if South has eight or nine hearts, he will surely play HEART AK droping your Queen and score 8/9 hearts and sufficient clubs for his contract.  So the correct defense is DIAMOND KING (or small) at trick two. South's hand was....

          x
          AKTxxxxx
          Jx
          Jx

If you continue a spade, or in fact lead anything but a DIAMOND, South has no option but to bang down the heart AK, dropping your Q and your partners J, and will end up winning 8 hearts and 4 clubs. If you swich to the Diamond K and another diamond, your partner will lead a third round of diamonds giving you a trump promotion.

[Codo]

Hi Ben,

a real wonderful hand to think about and nearly the only way to beat the hand is your solution. But still:
You gave the first trick: A,4,2,9
So, what is partner telling me? He gave me his lowest from 872. Standard count?
Standard attitude?
With both this signals, you have to guess and find out on your own,that the only way to beat the contract is an unlikely club chicane for pd or the hands you gave.

People with better signalling methods will safe much brain power: They could lead the ace (or king) to ask for a lavinthal signal or they can discuss, that after the led in a suit, where declarer obv. must have a singelton, the first signal is always lavinthal.
Then, this hand is a childs play for defenders:
Signal with the 8 of spade first round and even 4 Spade is one down...

Of course, this is not to take anything away from your beautyful hand and the nice solution. It was just to show that proper signalling will make defends much easier.

Kind Regards

Roland

[inquiry]

Hi Roland,

Well, real world hand, so I gave real world carding. Perhaps your partner played the 2 to show count. After all, a second spade may be cashing from your partner's point of view, or perhpas your partner always gives count.

Now the 2 may also be attitude. Your partner desiring a switch (say with the diamond ACE), may play the 2 to be discouraging. Without the diamond ACE, he may play large to encourage you to continue a spade since he has desire to see you switch.

Or the 2 may be a suit preference signal (in which case he should never play the spade 2 when holding the diamond ACE). But as a problem for a beginner/early intermediate as presented and labelled, trying to wade through the meaning of a trick one signal, especially where it is neither attitude (what beginners often give) or count (popular amoung intermediates) but rather suit preference based upon logic that normal (count or attitude) would not apply is a little out of their relm of logic. Besides, against 4H, the DIAMOND king is still right, and partner will not be giving logical suit preference on that auction (where you pass 4H).

Anyway you point about signals and suit preference signals is well taken.  I play all three types, even at trick one, based upon the logic of the situatoin. And yes, on this hand, I would have played a high spade as EAST.... but happily I was WEST defending against 4H (I did not bid 4S) and I didn't give much thought why partner played low, I returned the DIAMOND KING... and it worked wonders, beating the contract one. Despite setting 4H, 6H was bid and made a couple times NS, and nearly every declearer took 12 tricks in hearts. So I thought it would be a useful, if  simple hand.