If it has an Odor

By Eddie Kantar Eddie Kantar

Courtesy of KantarBridge.com

Both vulnerable, IMPs

N
North
9843
A3
KJ6
KJ94
 
S
South
AKQ2
Q92
1087
A63
W
West
N
North
E
East
S
South
1NT
Pass
2
Pass
2
Pass
4
All Pass
 

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:

 
N-S
N
North
9843
A3
KJ6
KJ94
 
W
West
1052
J864
A2
10875
 
E
East
J7
K1075
Q9543
Q2
 
S
South
AKQ2
Q92
1087
A63