This deal happened in the last segment of The Premier League Final China 2018, PD Times VS Hengzhou.
Board 8
Dealer: West
Vul: None
West North East South
Lorenzin J.Li Bessis Z.Fu
Pass Pass Pass 1♣*
Pass 1♢* Pass 1NT
Pass 2♡* X XX*
3♢ 3♡* Pass 4♠
AP
1♣: Precision
2♡, 3♡: Transfer
Lead: ♡3 (3rd/5th)
South won with the ♡A while you followed ♡J. Then the declarer crossed to the table with ♠J to lead a small ♡ from table. Now what's your plan?
Who holds the ♡T and where is the ♢A become 2 serious questions. First, 3♢ indicates that West holds 4 cards ♡. West could escape to 3♡ in case NS double 3♢. However, ♡T remains a mystery as the leading convention reveals nothing.
Assuming that South holds ♢KJ and ♡T, ♣Q must be in your partner's hand. The declarer could not avoid losing 2♢, 1♡ and 1♣ legitimately. So the only chance for him is to steal a trick on ♡. What's more, down 2 makes no difference to down 1. To upset the declarer, you must jump in with the ♡K and shift to ♢ at once. Wait, considering the bidding thoroughly, does this case indeed exist? Definitely, not. I don't think a Club-A player would bid 4♠ with ♢KJ while ♢AQ is announced to be offside loud and clear. The real value of high cards discount substantially with the game bid so unqualified. So ♢A is in South for certain. Under such hypothesis, West must hold ♡T and ♣Q. Hence, following a small ♡ shall be a reasonable choice. After winning with the ♡9, West would shift to ♢ instinctively due to the bidding. I would make a further discussion on the follow-up defense. Some readers may ask is there a possibility that South hold ♢KXX and ♣AQ. Um... Shouldn't one be skeptical why the declarer playing a small in a hurry. After all, the declarer could draw all trumps first and knocking out ♡K safely...
The full deal
Board 8
Dealer: West
Vul: None
I'd pondered for a long time whether to take the declarer's seat of to analyze the deal from a defender's perspective. Finally, I made up my mind in taking the side who failed at the table with actual deal. Playing a small ♡ from table is a perhaps unexpected course of switch but a reasonable routine, ♡J gives the slim chance for the deceptive play and Z. Fu grasped at the table. The onset of the second small ♡ is enough to make even the best bridge defender want nothing more than a quick-down defense.
Further discussion: Is the instinctive ♢ shifting only defense? As the actual cards lying, definitely, yes. East needs one entry to through ♢. Assuming that he doesn't switch ♢ immediately after getting in with the ♡9 but jump in with ♣ honors for a ♢ through. That is to say, West's ♣Q would drop when the declarer ruffing the third ♣. ♣T would be the 10th winner. Or West would be endplayed (Ax -- Txx --, 9 -- AJx x). In other word, if West hold ♣T, the time of shifting ♢ will be more multiple.
Board 8
Dealer: West
Vul: None
Lorenzin J.Li Bessis Z.Fu
Pass Pass Pass 1♣*
Pass 1♢* Pass 1NT
Pass 2♡* X XX*
3♢ 3♡* Pass 4♠
AP
1♣: Precision
2♡, 3♡: Transfer
Lead: ♡3 (3rd/5th)
South won with the ♡A while you followed ♡J. Then the declarer crossed to the table with ♠J to lead a small ♡ from table. Now what's your plan?
Who holds the ♡T and where is the ♢A become 2 serious questions. First, 3♢ indicates that West holds 4 cards ♡. West could escape to 3♡ in case NS double 3♢. However, ♡T remains a mystery as the leading convention reveals nothing.
Assuming that South holds ♢KJ and ♡T, ♣Q must be in your partner's hand. The declarer could not avoid losing 2♢, 1♡ and 1♣ legitimately. So the only chance for him is to steal a trick on ♡. What's more, down 2 makes no difference to down 1. To upset the declarer, you must jump in with the ♡K and shift to ♢ at once. Wait, considering the bidding thoroughly, does this case indeed exist? Definitely, not. I don't think a Club-A player would bid 4♠ with ♢KJ while ♢AQ is announced to be offside loud and clear. The real value of high cards discount substantially with the game bid so unqualified. So ♢A is in South for certain. Under such hypothesis, West must hold ♡T and ♣Q. Hence, following a small ♡ shall be a reasonable choice. After winning with the ♡9, West would shift to ♢ instinctively due to the bidding. I would make a further discussion on the follow-up defense. Some readers may ask is there a possibility that South hold ♢KXX and ♣AQ. Um... Shouldn't one be skeptical why the declarer playing a small in a hurry. After all, the declarer could draw all trumps first and knocking out ♡K safely...
The full deal
Board 8
Dealer: West
Vul: None
Further discussion: Is the instinctive ♢ shifting only defense? As the actual cards lying, definitely, yes. East needs one entry to through ♢. Assuming that he doesn't switch ♢ immediately after getting in with the ♡9 but jump in with ♣ honors for a ♢ through. That is to say, West's ♣Q would drop when the declarer ruffing the third ♣. ♣T would be the 10th winner. Or West would be endplayed (Ax -- Txx --, 9 -- AJx x). In other word, if West hold ♣T, the time of shifting ♢ will be more multiple.
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