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[Event "Defensive Problem 1/26/2018"]
[Site ""]
[Date ""]
[Board "3"]
[West ""]
[North ""]
[East ""]
[South ""]
[Dealer "S"]
[Vulnerable "EW"]
[Deal "S:AKT9865.9743.Q.4 4.QT85.A642.T982 J32.KJ62.JT.KQJ3 Q7.A.K98753.A765"]
[Scoring ""]
[Declarer "S"]
[Contract "3S"]
[Result ""]
{

Your partner and both opponents are expert players, in this matchpoint pair
game.  Playing standard carding in this new partnership, you lead the \H5. 
Dummy plays small and partner wins the \HA, declarer following with the \H3.

After some thought, partner cashes the \CA, declarer following with the \C4,
and leads the \D9.  You win declarer's \DQ with the \DA.  How do you continue?}
[BCFlags "1f"]
[Hidden "ES"]
[Auction "S"]
3S AP
[Play "W"]
H5 H2 HA H3
C2 C3 CA C4
DA DT DK DQ

[Event "Defensive Problem -- Solution"]
[Site ""]
[Date ""]
[Board "3"]
[West "Selma"]
[North "Sheila"]
[East "Pete"]
[South "John"]
[Dealer "S"]
[Vulnerable "EW"]
[Deal "S:AKT9865.9743.Q.4 4.QT85.A642.T982 J32.KJ62.JT.KQJ3 Q7.A.K98753.A765"]
[Scoring ""]
[Declarer "S"]
[Contract "3S"]
[Result ""]
{

Your partner and both opponents are experts, in this matchpoint pair game. 
Playing standard carding in this new partnership, you lead the \H5.  Dummy
plays small and partner wins the \HA.

After some thought, partner cashes the \CA.  This is a highly unusual play,
establishing dummy's clubs, with the \SJ a likely entry.  Preempters also have
been known to have voids - leading the \CA could have been a disaster.  Think
of this play as an "alarm clock" lead.  Wake up and take notice!

Partner now leads the \D9, and you win declarer's \DQ with the \DA.  What do
you make of that?  The lead of the high card says, "do not return this suit." 
Partner would have led low, to ask for a diamond back.

Partner clearly wants something special from you, and in this case, it must be
a ruff.  Can it be in diamonds?  No, because that would give declarer six
diamonds, along with at least six spades, a heart and a club.  So returning a
trump or a diamond is clearly wrong.

Did partner have the singleton ace of hearts or clubs?  In either case,
declarer will have four cards in that suit, and likely a singleton in the
other.  Go back to the opening lead.  Declarer knows partner has the \HA, since
you would not underlead it.  You are looking at the \HQ.  If declarer had a
singleton heart, would he not put in the \HJ, hoping to establish the \HK for a
discard?  Declarer has likely ducked to \H9743.  Lead a heart.  Obtaining this
fourth trick holds declarer to 140, a fine defensive score.

If you would have returned a club, at least you were thinking along the right
lines.  Had declarer played the \HJ at trick one, a club could well have been
the correct return.

<i>- Pete Matthews, Jr.</i>
}
[BCFlags "1f"]
[Auction "S"]
3S AP
[Play "W"]
H5
