This hand, which cropped up on Thursday, had many twists and turns
You get to 3NT and receive the lead of the J♥
First thing is to count your tricks
2 spades, 1 heart, 1 diamond and 5 clubs, but you need to knock out the ♠ A to achieve that and there is the potential to lose 4 hearts along with the spade
Many declarers ran the heart around to the queen, hoping east would play the ace, giving an extra stop
After cashing the clubs, hoping hearts were breaking 4-4, they led a spade. East wasted no time, hopping up with the ace, to fire a heart through for 1 down
Other declarers decided that if hearts were 5-3 a hold-up was needed to clear east of his hearts, so ducked in both hands
West, delighted to see the ♥K now bare, banged down the ace and led a third heart to the queen, setting up the suit
When declarer played a spade he was relieved to see east win. But without a heart to get to partner, east tempted declarer with a low diamond
Declarer, was not leaving anything to chance, jumping up with the ace, cashing out 9 tricks; game made
There is a better case for jumping up with the ♥K at trick 1. If west had possessed the ♠A then the queen cannot be trapped
In the actual hand it would not have worked out as east wins the first spade killing your ♥Q, for the same result
Despite many declarers succeeding by the holdup at trick 1, the LMITB says 3NT should go down.
How is that?
Let's go back to trick 2. After the J♥ holds, west must play a small heart, allowing the king to win!
Now when east gains the lead with the ♠A he can play his remaining heart and west wins 3 more hearts to defeat the contract
How can west find this defence?
It is all about entries. West has no entries outside the heart suit so, setting up the suit, as we saw above, is futile without the means to cash them
As declarer plans the play at trick one, so should the defenders. Playing by instinct is not winning bridge
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