The great Eddie Kantar produced top-quality books and articles for an amazing 70 years. (He was also a world-champion player and notable teacher.) Eddie specialized in instructive problems in play and defense.
Try to beat four hearts as West in today’s Kantar deal. Cover the East/South cards. When you lead the king of spades, East and South follow suit.
What next?
Suppose you lead a low spade. South ruffs and leads a club: three, king, ace. He ruffs the next spade (East has no better defense), draws trumps and leads a diamond. Your ace wins, but South discards a diamond on dummy’s queen of clubs and has no more losers.
TRUMP SHIFT
A trump shift at Trick Two is no better; South can still set up a club trick for a diamond discard. Nor can you prevail by shifting to the ace and a low diamond; South can ruff a diamond in dummy.
To beat four hearts, lead a low diamond at the second trick. Then you can counter anything declarer tries next. Did you find that good defense?
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S A K 5 4 3 H 7 6 D A 10 5 2 C 3 2. Your partner opens one heart, you bid one spade and he rebids two hearts. What do you say?
ANSWER: Partner’s second bid promises six or more hearts. If he had a five-card suit, he could always find a more descriptive second bid: 1NT with balanced pattern, two of a minor suit or a raise to two spades. Since you have 11 prime points and a possible ruffing feature in clubs, raise to four hearts.
West dealer
Both sides vulnerable
NORTH
S J 8 6 2
H 3
D K Q
C K Q 10 9 8 4
WEST
S A K 5 4 3
H 7 6
D A 10 5 2
C 3 2
EAST
S Q 10 9
H 10 5 2
D 7 6 4
C A J 7 6
SOUTH
S 7
H A K Q J 9 8 4
D J 9 8 3
C 5
West North East South
1 S 2 C 2 S 4 H
All Pass
Opening lead — S K
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