[inquiry]

You open with the spade King, and partner plays the spade 3 (UDCA)
Plan your defense. You priority of signals on opening lead is atitude-count-suit preference.

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This post has been edited by inquiry: 2011-November-16, 12:54
Reason for edit: FIXED CARDING SO 3 WAS PLAYED IF YOU CLICK THE NEXT CARD THINGEE

[MrAce]

It shows pd played 7

[G_R__E_G]

MrAce, on 2011-November-16, 00:18, said:

It shows pd played 7

That part's an error but it's immaterial.

Anyway - back to the hand.....hmmmm, that diamond suit in dummy looks pretty ominous.

[billw55]

G_R__E_G, on 2011-November-16, 12:03, said:

That part's an error but it's immaterial.

Anyway - back to the hand.....hmmmm, that diamond suit in dummy looks pretty ominous.

Agree, club switch seems mandatory. In some layouts the ♣K is the setting trick, if so we need to set it up right away.

[G_R__E_G]

billw55, on 2011-November-16, 13:14, said:

Agree, club switch seems mandatory. In some layouts the ♣K is the setting trick, if so we need to set it up right away.

Exactly (although I was being vague to give the BI's a chance ). You pretty much have to hope that if declarer does indeed have 8 trumps that their shape is 2=8=1=2 and partner has the club king. If declarer has opened 4♥ with only seven of them then there are different shapes that can be beaten plus we're probably getting our ♥K too.

[inquiry]

I get most of the hands that I post in the BIL forum from online tournament play (often very large tournaments). This hand came up and more that half of the field defending against hearts started with a top spade, got an attitude signal (or perhaps count) and continued spades. End of story. Their partner (East) was endplayed and could not switch to a club. Declarer gets in, pull trumps, then run diamonds for club discards.

So what you need to do, is either switch to a club now (best), or cash another high spade, then lead a club. What you can't do is play a small spade at trick two. i am thinking this is a beginner level problem only, but like i said, some 27 tables the defense went wrong by leading a second spade.

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[billw55]

I suppose in this situation east should give negative attitude at trick one; the suit to shift to is obvious.

[bigbenvic]

I reckon it's important to know what signal you are giving. Does partner need Attitude or count? I think count is more important, south is unlikely to have a spade stack here, I would play the 7 as count. Partner knows it's 1 or 3, if 3 then declarer has no reason to hold up the A, so East must have it. If Ax then he should overtake and return a spade so east must be Axx.

West Knowing that should cash the QS and then play a club. The 3 means you shift to a club now, on this hand the ♠ trick doesn't go away as you have the A♦ but if south has the k♣ then you are gifting tricks which at imps is irrelevant but at not so at match points. Give south Jx AJT9xxx xx Kx and club switch and continuation after the A♦ is taken and 11 tricks might be a poor score for e/w.