KQ83

QJ109x

 Q9 542 A9864 Q83

RHO opens the bidding with 1, gets raised to two, then bids game, putting me on lead.

I figure that if he had a side four-card heart suit, he would have bid 3 on the way to game, hoping to find a 4-4 fit, so a heart lead rates to be the least damaging. Without any conviction, I lead the 2. Dummy hits and I see

	KJ2 873 10753 K72
Q9 542 A9864 Q83

I'm glad I chose a heart; with a balanced dummy, a passive defense looks best.

On the first trick, partner plays the K (rats!), and declarer wins the Ace. He cashes the A and plays a spade to the table, looking happy. Partner high-lows in trumps, so I know she has three. Declarer leads a diamond off the table and starts to think when partner plays low. He emerges with the J, and now it's my time to think.

What's going on? Declarer has five trumps and obviously has the KJ. He has at least two hearts and at most three. If he had a four-card suit, I think he might not be so fast to draw two rounds of trumps, so I think his shape is 5323 exactly. That means he has the A at least---four points in spades, six in hearts, and four in diamonds is only fourteen. The A is enough for him to bid 4, but he might have another Jack. He doesn't have both or he probably would have opened 2NT. Come to think of it, why didn't he rebid 3NT? I suppose the diamonds are a worry, but if he had the J, I think he'd be sure to. I think he doesn't have it. Or maybe he just didn't think of 3NT? Hmmm... this contract is quite cold; declarer has five spade tricks, two heart tricks, two diamond tricks (although he doesn't know it yet), and two clubs. We are getting at least one trick. I guess the goal is to hold down the second overtrick. If declarer has the J, there's no hope; he's going to claim 12 tricks in a trice, so I have to play partner for that card. If declarer has the 10, he has a finesse against partner's J, but he probably doesn't think that'd work---not too many lead from three small. What if partner has both the J10? The only obvious chance for 12 tricks is a possible club finesse, but there's a less-obvious one. If declarer plays this hand from the top, he's going to luck into a non-simultaneous double squeeze if the deal was this:

	KJ2 873 10753 K72
Q9 542 A9864 Q83		753 KJ106 Q2 J964
	A10864 AQ9 KJ A105

My heart spots can't cover the third card in declarer's hand, I have to guard diamonds, so no one will be able to cover clubs. Declarer should probably play for this even if he thinks the (potential) heart finesse is working, because it offers the extra chance that I am the sole guard of clubs. This is bad. I think, however, that I can do something about it. If I play a club, the entries for the double squeeze will be broken, but if I play a small one, I'll have sole guard of both minors unless partner has both the J and the 10.

I can do better. If I shift to the Q now, declarer can make 12 tricks in the above deal only by playing partner for the J and trying to squeeze him in hearts and clubs. That seems much less likely than trying to get me in the minors, so I'm sure he'll fail if I do it.

I emerge from my tank, win the A, and put the Q on the table. Declarer gives this a little thought. Good! That means he doesn't likely have the J. If he has the 109, maybe I'll will a trick for partner's Jack!

Alas, declarer wins the A in hand, cashes the K, sits up, and draws the last trump. He then thinks again, cashes the 10 and takes a heart finesse for 12 tricks. He had the 10 after all. Phooey.

I guess my play was as the right time, but in the wrong place. Most declarers are going to bid 3NT instead of 4 and play there. A reasonable line might be to win the diamond lead, take a spade finesse, and hook the Q. Now, when he continues a high diamond, my hand has to either duck twice in diamonds or win and continue the Q in order to hold them to 11 tricks. Then, I'd've won a full board swing. Oh, well. We needed a top here to score, so it's time to go home. What a frustrating day.