From: barth@bcse.enet.dec.com (Karl Barth)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: My fault ?
Date: 28 Sep 92 14:06:35 GMT
Reply-To: barth@bcse.enet.dec.com (Karl Barth)
Organization: Bridge-o-matic, Inc.

In article <6775@transfer.stratus.com>, tnh@sw.stratus.com (Tim Hill) writes:
||>In article <gmhPr.asai@etl.go.jp>, asai@etl.go.jp (Kiyoshi Asai)
|>transposed the declarer and dummy.  Here's what Kiyoshi wrote with the
|>hands rearranged and with declarer South:

I have to quote a bunch of stuff below for context.  I deleted some stuff too, though.

>> Neither Vul, the full hand was:
|>>
|>>          S xxxx
|>>          H J10x
|>>          D Kx
|>>          C Kxxx
|>> S Kx             S AJ109x
|>> H xx             H A9x
|>> D xxxx           D Qxx
|>> C A10xxx         C 7x
|>>          S Qx
|>>          H KQ8xx
|>>          D AJxx
|>>          C QJ
|>>
|>> West     North   East    South
|>>                          1H
|>> Pass     2H      2S      3H
|>> 3S       Pass    Pass    4H
|>> All Pass
|>>
|>> My partner's opening lead was King of spade.
|>>
|>> I overtook the SK by SA, and led the Cx.
||>
|>In article <1992Sep25.134519.21403@e2big.mko.dec.com>, barth@bcse.enet.dec.com
|>(Karl Barth) seemed to be confused by the transposed hands.  He writes:
|>
|>> Sorry, but I disagree with John - I believe you should let partner's King hold
|>> the first trick and I believe the decision clear.  Here is why:
|>>    You can see 3 tricks for the defense, 2 spades and the HA.  You are
|>>    going to play partner for the CK or CA, so you are beating the 
|>>    hand if you just stay in your chair and take all your tricks.
|>
|>But West's 3S bid and SK lead combined to give Kiyoshi the impression that
|>West started with S KQx and South with a singleton, so the defense would
|>get only one spade trick.

Yes, I was confused by the hand layout - I admit it.  However, I disagree with
the analysis and answers below.  Read on.

|>
|>So the issues are:
|>1)  Should West bid 3S?

Definitely a questionable decision.  The hand looks like it may defend very well
and, while the 1.5 Quicks are nice, they aren't the world's fair.  Partner might
expect you to hold this much - although he is likely to expect the king not to be
in Spades.

|>2)  Having bid 3S, should West lead SK or Sx?

You must lead the SK.   Partner/Overcaller has no chance to work out the spade
position if you lead a low card.  I'd be looking to give you a ruff if I deduced that
you had led low from KQx (which is how it will appear).  So I'd shift to something
trying to hit your shortness.   East can NEVER get the defense right if you
lead the Sx.

With the K lead there is a chance that overcaller will realize that overtaking isn't
necessary and so let the K hold.  It is also perfectly reasonable for West to lead
the K from Kxx to get a look at dummy and direct the defense from there.   

|>3)  Should East overtake the SK and lead the C7?

No.  If East is playing partner for the CA, you may as well discourage Spades and
hope partner realizes you want a club.  From West's point of view, it might be
necessary to force declarer to guess clubs.  Ie, you have a decent shot at getting
a club shift for the "wrong" reason by discouraging spades.  I was wrong in my
earlier post - East should not encourage on the opening lead.

Note that it doesn't matter what East plays.  West will continue spades anyway, 
since he knows there are two tricks to take in that suit.

|>4)  Should West hold up the CA?

In a perfect world, West would shift to a low club at trick two and this is a 
non-question.  And that is my non-answer.  :^)

Karl B.