End Play Saves Day

As dealer, what action should you take with the South hand below? 

EW vulnerable, dealer South. 

          NORTH 
          S AJ54
          H KJ2
          D AJ4
          C A52
WEST                EAST
S 86                S 7
H 987               H AQT6
D QT76              D K954
C J987              C KQT6

          SOUTH 
          S KQT932
          H 543
          D 83
          C 43

S  W   N  E

2S P  4S  All pass 

A Weak Two opening, like a preemptive 3-level or higher opening, is often described as showing 6-10 HCP. South’s hand is a point short in high cards, but the powerful suit should sway you to open, especially at favourable vulnerability. North raised to game and West led the D6. Cover the East-West hands and plan the play.

Despite the impressive dummy, there are approximately four expected losers - between one and three losers in hearts, depending on where the ace and queen are, plus a loser in each minor.

Which diamond should you play from dummy? There is no point playing the DJ because that would win only if West had the King and Queen of diamonds which is not possible, because with that holding West would have led the King. Better is to play low from dummy, which is what declarer did at the table. Good news! East played the DK. If that is a true card, it denies the DQ.

Declarer proceeded on this assumption. The club shift from East was won with dummy’s CA. Trumps were drawn with the SA and a spade to the SK. Now the remaining diamond was led from hand and when West played low, declarer successfully finessed the DJ.  The DA was cashed and the club loser discarded from hand.

Declarer could cross to hand to finesse twice in hearts and prevail if either the Ace or Queen were onside, but is it possible to succeed against the actual layout where East has the A-Q-T of hearts sitting over dummy’s honours? 

Yes, declarer had a guaranteed line available once the club loser had been discarded. Lead a club from dummy and ruff it. Then cross back to dummy with a spade, and lead the last club and ruff it. With four cards remaining, the situation will look something like this: 

          NORTH 
          S 5
          H KJ2
          D -
          C -
WEST                EAST
S -                 S -
H 987               H AQT
D Q                 D -
C -                 C Q

          SOUTH 
          S Q
          H 543
          D -
          C -

A heart is now led to dummy’s Jack . East wins with the HQ but is “end played” (forced to concede a trick no matter what is led). If East leads the HA, that makes dummy’s HK a winner. If East leads the CQ, declarer will ruff in one hand and discard a loser from the other hand. Either way, the contract is made.