By Eddie Kantar
Courtesy of KantarBridge.com
Both vulnerable, IMPs
Opening lead: ♦A
East plays the ♦9 and West continues with the ♦2. Plan the play.
Solution
If a lead looks like a doubleton and smells like a doubleton, it probably is a doubleton. Why would anyone lead from an ace-queen into a notrump bidder? Win the ♦K and, assuming a 3-2 trump division, draw trumps and exit with the DsJ. Note: when the adverse trumps are 4-1, a long suit is usually led.
East, on play with the ♦Q, has an unhappy choice of plays. If East elects to exit a heart, play the queen and if it is covered, you are reduced to the club finesse. If East exits a club, the most you can lose is a heart. If East exits a diamond, ruff in your hand and discard a heart from dummy. You now have to play clubs for one loser. The best play is low to the king, low to the ace and then low to the jack if the queen hasn’t appeared.
The full deal: