plan the play 1

[Robert]

S:KQx
H:Q84
D:K92
C:Q754

S:
H:AKJT753
D:A765
C:K3

South is in 6H after east preempts 3S and west raises. Opening lead
is the 2S. Plan the play.

[Robert D. Silverman]

This is an easy problem. Just perform a Morton's Fork Coup on W.

Ruff the opening spade lead. Do not put up the K or Q. If you do East
can defeat you by ducking since you don't yet know what to discard on
the high spade.

Draw a round of trumps, and lead a low club toward the Q. Now one of
two things will happen:

(a) W will win the A. Now you win any return, ruff out the A spades and
discard 2 diamond losers on the high spade and Q clubs.

(b) W ducks. Now you ruff out the A spades, discard the K clubs on the
high spade and give up a diamond. Ruff the last diamond in dummy. The
reason you only draw 1 round of trumps is obvious. If the person who
wins the diamond had 3 trumps he will return one and prevent the ruff.

W should have the A clubs. (When was the last time you opened 3S with
2 bullets? By the way, a weak E MIGHT open 3S with 2 Aces, in which case
you'll have to guess as whether to lead toward the club K or Q. A strong
opponent, however, is unlikely to pre-empt with 2 quick tricks.)

The Morton's Fork Coup comes from the fact that if W plays the A clubs
you get 2 discards, and if he doesn't play it, he never gets it. He's
damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. You also see now why you
don't play a high spade in dummy at trick 1. You don't yet know
whether to discard a club or a diamond.

Bob Silverman (they call me Mr. 9)