A Weak and Strong 3-3 Fit
|
♠ |
A 6 4 |
♥ |
Q 4 |
♦ |
A 10 7 6 5 3 2 |
♣ |
6 |
|
|
♠ |
10 5 3 |
♥ |
9 6 5 2 |
♦ |
K 8 4 |
♣ |
A J 10 |
|
|
♠ |
Q J 8 7 |
♥ |
J 8 3 |
♦ |
Q J |
♣ |
9 5 4 3 |
|
|
♠ |
K 9 2 |
♥ |
A K 10 7 |
♦ |
9 |
♣ |
K Q 8 7 2 |
|
|
Against notrump
It seems like North/South should be able to make
3 NT, setting up
diamonds.
The defense can foil this by leading a spade - the
♠ 10 from West. South wins the
♠ K, takes the
♦ A
and a loses diamond to East.
East leads a high spade, and North must duck (otherwise, the defense gets two
spades, two diamonds, and a club.) Then East shifts to a club, and the defense gets
two clubs two diamonds, and a spade.
Since the spade lead breaks the notrump game, it is particularly perverse that
the only game that makes by North/South is
4 ♠ declared by South.
Against spades: West takes his club ace
The key positional problems for the defense is the club suit. If West leads the
♣ A before leading spades, declarer easily gets two top spades, two clubs, three hearts, a diamond, and a diamond ruff. If a club ruff can be engineered, then declarer
is done. That means that West needs to keep the
♠ 10.
So West must switch to a low spade after taking the club, and East must play a high
spade, South winning the
♠ K.
Now declarer takes his
♦ A, diamond ruff, two clubs, three hearts, and leads a club at this position:
West has to ruff with the
♠ 10 to avoid North scoring the small trump.
North overruffs with the
♠ A and scores the
♠ 9 en passant
on a diamond lead.
If the defense never led trumps after taking the
♣ A, the end position
is similar:
North/South have taken seven tricks, and still have two top trumps, so the defense
must stop declarer from scoring any low trump. On the club, West must ruff high, North overruffs with the
♠ A and leads a diamond. East must ruff high, and
South pitches a club, leading to this position with East on lead:
Whatever East does, declarer will score his
♠ 9
Against spades: West keeps his club ace
So, what happens if West does not take the
♣ A first?
If West fails to take his club trick, South will run three hearts, pitching the
club from North, and then take the ruffing finesse in clubs. North/South score
three hearts, a club, a diamond, two club ruffs, a diamond ruff, and two top spades.