Simple if you don’t fall asleep at the wheel

I watched this deal from the French Open Trials where one defender won 10 imps for his side defending a game perfectly.

West, Toffier held: 

Toffier  ♠ A52   ♥ A42   ♦ Q942   ♣ Q93

 

The auction in the Closed Room went like this.

 

Toffier	Ringuet	Pilon	Adad
			2♥
Pass	2NT	Pass	3♣
Pass	3♥	Pass	4♥
All Pass

2♥  showed 5-6 hearts and 18-22 points.  South, Adad, showed his secondary club suit and Ringuet gave Toffier a choice between hearts and notrump.

How do you defend?  The opening lead is often very important and this deal is no exception.  Clearly a club is out in this auction. Spades seem risky. A diamond is possible.  What do you do?  

Toffier decided on a trump.  He picked a small one which still let him maintain control of the suit.  This is the dummy he saw.

 

 

Dealer:  Vul:	Ringuet ♠ 3    ♥ 76   ♦ KJ108752   ♣ 753
Toffier ♠ A52   ♥ A42 ♦ Q942   ♣ Q93

 

Partner, Pilon followed with the ♥ 9 and declarer won the ♥ Q.  Declarer cashed the ♦A and partner followed.  Then declarer, Adad, played the ♥ J and Toffier was in with the ♥ A.  What does he know and what should he do?  Toffier knows declarer has no entry to dummy since all the diamonds are gone from south and east.  A trump lead is safe and will force Adad to play from his hand.  Adad won the trump return as partner showed out playing a small spade.  

Declarer now played the ♣ A, ♣ K and another. On the first club Pilon played the lowest outstanding club.  And Toffier threw the ♣Q.  

Could the ♣ Q be the setting trick?  Declarer’s shape is pretty well known.  Assuming Pilon gave count on the club then Adad has 2-6-1-4 shape and probably at least 20 high card points since he accepted Ringuet’s invitation.  

If Adad has the ♠K then the contract cannot be defeated unless Pilon has the ♣ J.  If Toffier holds onto the ♣ Q he will be enplayed and forced to either lead away from the ♠ A or give declarer the ♦K in dummy.  

If Adad has the ♣ AKJx and Pilon has the ♠ K the Toffier will be throwing away the setting tricks.  Good partnerships have agreements on signaling and with the ♠ K  Pilon could have done something in the carding to let Toffier know he had a high card in spades. Perhaps even more dramatic and effective if Toffier has the ♠ K and xxx of clubs he could throw a low club on the third round of hearts!  The fact that he is holding all his clubs should indicate that he does indeed have something in clubs.

 

 

Dealer: Vul:	Ringuet ♠ 3    ♥ 76   ♦ KJ108752   ♣ 753
Toffier ♠ A52   ♥ A42 ♦ Q943   ♣ Q93		Pilon ♠ QJ98764   ♥ 109   ♦ 6   ♣ J86
	Addad ♠ K10   ♥ KQJ853   ♦ A   ♣ AK104