HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ingvar@doctor.chem.yale.edu (Ingvar Lagerstedt)
Subject: defense agreements
Organization: Yale University
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 22:27:24 GMT

In a club game most pairs missed to take their obvious 5 diamond tricks
against 3NT, although the suit was normally lead.

The bidding was either (Acol/4CM):
S/unimportant
    1NT - 2C - 2D - 3NT (weak NT)
or  1C  - 1H - 1NT- 3NT (strong NT)

I don't remember the whole layout, but N had 4-4-2-3 13 hcp and S had
3-3-2-5 14 hcp so there where not many other places to go.
The diamond situation was:
            94
AK753             JT82
            Q6

Our opponents, LOLs, played: A-4-2-6, K-9-8-Q, 3-x-T-x, and the suit was 
blocked. At some other tables it went either:

    A-4-2-6, 3-9-8-Q, => 11 tricks
or  A-4-J-6, switch   => 10 tricks

Thus, we got a very bad score for a 3NT made, when it was unmakeable. 3NT 
was beaten at only 2/12 tables. So the question is how should E/W proceed 
to take their 5 tricks on this layout. How can E encourages W to continue
with the K without playing the D2.

Regards,
Ingvar

Ingvar@doc.chem.yale.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: davidm@questor.Rational.COM (David Moore)
Subject: Re: Lead Problem
Organization: Rational
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 22:48:04 GMT

avir@chen.bgu.ac.il (Avi Roy Shapira) writes:

>You hold: Jxx, xxx, Ax, KJxxx

>The bidding (E-W silent throughout)

>S  1D(0)   1N(1)      2H         3C      4D      6D

>N  1H     2D(2)      2N(3)      3N*      4H     pass


>What do you lead?

First I ask about the 3NT bid. Was this a singleton club or
was it 2-2 and values? 

If the latter, the obvious lead is the club J. South seems
to be 3244 or 4243 and will want to get away clubs on the long 
hearts after clearing trump.

If the former, I can't see a lead that looks like giving me
a reasonable chance of beating the contract.
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: zilch@planb.Eng.Sun.COM (John Hoffman)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: What does the RKCB abbreviation mean?
Date: 16 Dec 1992 22:43:29 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems
Distribution: world
Reply-To: zilch@planb.Eng.Sun.COM
NNTP-Posting-Host: planb

> I hereby declare the following to be Standard Roman Key Card Blackwood:
>
> RKCB permits the 4NT bidder to learn about the top three trump honors as well
> as side aces.
>
> 4NT is ordinary Blackwood when it's an opening bid or the first response
> to a one-of-a-suit opening.
>
> Any other unnatural 4NT bid is RKCB.  (When 4NT is natural is outside the
> scope of this posting.)
>
> [followed by lots of detail on RKCB & followup bids]

Allowing for wide variation on the meanings of followup bids, your summary
is generally OK except for the statement "Any other unnatural 4NT bid is RKCB."
A perusal of hands from Bridge World's Master Solvers Club (or any
other bidding forum) will easily unearth at least 10 different meanings of a 
4NT bid, many of them unnatural but not ace-asking.  

While it is important to avoid Kissinger-style deliberate ambiguity 
in these situations, it seems like a losing proposition to combine this 
level of simplicity with the use of a moderately complex gadget such as RKCB.

John

"Explanations should be as simple as possible but not simpler."  -- Einstein


Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: sgm@sgfb.ssd.ray.com (Steven G. Myerson)
Subject: Help my partner play this hand - summary and result
Organization: Raytheon Company
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 15:20:09 GMT

In a previous article I asked about this hand:

* Matchpoints. None vul. North dealer.
*
* North:  KJT,    A5,    K953,  AT76
* South:  AQ954,  QJT3,  4,     KQ8
*
* The bidding was straightforward, with EW passing:
*   North   South
*   1N-1    2C        1. 13-16
*   2D      3S
*   4S      pass
* 
* West led the ace of diamonds. East played the 7 (high encourages).
* West continued with the ten of diamonds. Plan the play.

I received 10 replies (posts and email),
and amazingly enough, there was a net.tie!

As most pointed out, there are 11 cold tricks, and this being matchpoints,
the object of the hand is to try to take 12.
There are two lines of play for 12 tricks.

Five people suggested this line:

1. Draw trumps. Take the heart finesse.
   If it loses, just take your 11 tricks.
   If it wins, play for a heart-club squeeze on West.

Five other people suggested this line:

2. Take the heart finesse before drawing all the trumps.
   If it loses, just take your 11 tricks.
   If it wins, ruff the third round of hearts for the 12th trick.

Well, I guess that my partner gets to break the tie. :-)
He chose line 2 (which means that all of you who chose line 1
are correct on this hand).

He pitched the low heart on the king of diamonds,
drew two rounds of trumps, crossed to the king of clubs,
and took the heart finesse.
The king was wrong, and East, who had been listening to
the bidding and was looking at six hearts to the king,
had no trouble finding the heart return, which was ruffed by West.

So 10 tricks was our limit, which lost to all other pairs,
except the one in 6S going down 1.

As I said in my original article, I did not disagree with
the way he played the hand, and judging from the responses,
the line he took certainly seemed reasonable.
Perhaps West deserves credit for not automatically leading
a singleton, and giving my partner absolutely no clue as
to the unbalanced distribution of the opponents hands.

Steve Myerson (sgm@sgfb.ssd.ray.com)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: spencer@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (S. Spencer Sun)
Subject: Re: handling slow players
Originator: news@nimaster
Reply-To: spencer@phoenix.princeton.edu (S. Spencer Sun)
Organization: Live Organ Transplants
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 05:21:13 GMT

In article <1992Dec11.230347.27754@sunova.ssc.gov>, henk@pdsf.ssc.gov (Henk Uijterwaal) writes:
>+> It is VERY bad form to suggest to a player that he is taking
>+> too long (directly or indirectly). 
>
>I agree with this while somebody is playing a hand. If, as in this case,
>a player constantly takes forever, you can point this out to him BETWEEN
>deals. 
>
>B.T.W. How long did the match take?

The whole match took about 2 hrs 45 minutes.  Better than I expected,
but a bit on the slow side all the same.  After our table played boards
1 and 2, got 3 from them, and then finally 4, we spent more time waiting
for them to finish 1 and 2 than we did playing 1-4 ourselves.

-----
sss/PU'94 Dept of CS (spencer@phoenix.princeton.edu)/JvNCnet (spencer@jvnc.net)
"Horror?  Steckle, it's ignorance we fear.  Since when did truth and
knowledge become a horror?"

Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: baseggio@deshaw.com (Franco Baseggio)
Subject: Re: Help my partner play this hand
Organization: D. E. Shaw & Co.
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 00:08:01 GMT

In article <1992Dec11.162354.24955@linus.mitre.org> bs@gauss.mitre.org (Robert D. Silverman) writes:
>In article <BKBVBGCH@cc.swarthmore.edu> fishberg@cs.swarthmore.edu (Dylan Steinberg) writes:
>:In article <1992Dec10.194741.15831@rayssd.ssd.ray.com> sgm@sgfb.ssd.ray.com (Steven G. Myerson) writes:
>:
>:>North:  KJT,    A5,    K953,  AT76
>:>South:  AQ954,  QJT3,  4,     KQ8
>:>
>:>The bidding was straightforward, with EW passing:
>:>  North   South
>:>  1N-1    2C        1. 13-16
>:>  2D      3S
>:>  4S      pass
>:>
>:>West led the ace of diamonds. East played the 7 (high encourages).
>:>West continued with the ten of diamonds. Plan the play.
>:
[Dylan's not so good line deleted]
> 
>This is hopeless. You have 11 cold tricks, not 10. Your losers are the
>K hearts and A diamonds.  The problem is to make 6S.
>
>Win K diamonds pitching the 3 hearts. Draw trump and take the heart
>finesse. If it loses you have 11 tricks. If it wins, continue with a
>heart to the A and a club back to the K.  Just run trumps. 
>
>If the K hearts came down you have 12 tricks. If not you can play
>for clubs to be 3-3, Jx of clubs, or for a heart-club squeeze should
>someone hold K hearts and Jxxx clubs.
>
>There is also an option to play LHO for Jxxx of clubs by finessing the
>10 clubs, but this is unecessary. If the K hearts is on he gets squeezed,
>if it is off you make 5.
>
>Bob Silverman

Are you sure this is best?  What about something like:
 - win the diamond and play SJ to Q
 - run the HQ.  If it looses fall back on Bob's line.  (you may risk a
6-0 club break after a diamond return ruffed high if trumps are also
bad) 
 - If it wins, play HA, SK to A.  Now if trumps are bad play ST,CK,S9
and continue along Bob's line.  
 - If trumps split, ruff the last heart and come back with a club to
draw trumps and take 12 tricks.

When the HQ is off or when trumps split badly, this is virtually
equivalent to Bob's line.  Otherwise, though, Bob's line is held to 5
when RHO has Jxxx or more clubs.  My line is held to 5 when clubs
split 6-0 or hearts split 6-1, or RHO has 1 club, 2 hearts, and 3
spades (impossible once LHO shows 2 diamonds).

Squeezes are nice, but they aren't always right.  My line gains about
5% of the time.

Franco




Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: altus@leland.Stanford.EDU (Steve Altus)
Subject: Re: Rate this sequence
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 92 19:06:38 GMT

In article <85128@ut-emx.uucp> shamrake@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Danil Suits) writes:
>
>Please critique East's actions in this auction:
>
>E-W Vulnerable at MATCHPOINTS
>
>   AKxx
>   Axxxx
>   KJxx
>   ---
>
>WEST    NORTH    EAST    SOUTH
> 1D      3C       6C      P
> 6D      X        XX      P
> P       7C       P       P
> X       P        P       P
>



people have been sending me mail about my lack of humility and
civility (i need the Bob Silverman support group) so i'll be nice
and not say anything REALLY bad...


but how often in some lousy sectional does righty know enough to
make a blind STA, and how often is 1760 really going to be a bad
board?  certainly 1560 won't be... (unless, of course, partner was
cold for seven, and even then...)


apologies if the field was the finals of the blues or something, 
and not some lousy sectional (or worse, god only knows ... a club game!?!)




--steve altus
From: mfagan@cs.rice.edu (Mike Fagan)
Subject: action double references
Organization: Rice University, Houston
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 22:27:47 GMT

Greetings net people:

I was looking at my old bridge world's, and I came across an article by
Ken Lebensold in the sept '79 on "action" doubles.

Does anyone out there know if there has been any followup on this subject ?

I'm considering buying some back issues of the Bridge World anyway, and
if someone can point me to followup articles, I'd  like to include them
in my purchase.

Thanks,
Mike Fagan
From: varvel@cs.utexas.edu (Donald A. Varvel)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: Looking for notes
Date: 14 Dec 1992 11:27:21 -0600
Organization: CS Dept, University of Texas at Austin
NNTP-Posting-Host: levelland.cs.utexas.edu

In article <1gb2c2INNfdj@transfer.stratus.com> tnh@sw.stratus.com (Tim Hill) writes:
>In article <85163@ut-emx.uucp>, shamrake@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Danil Suits) writes:
>> 2)
>>    1D   3C  natural and invitational (limitted)
 
>> This looks like it would take considerable pressure
>> off of the 1D-2C sequences.  Can anyone supply
>> followups here? Of course, it would also be good to
>> know how this affects 1D-2C auctions.

>This is the standard treatment in the 2/1 system.  If you agree that 1D-2C
>is game forcing, you're pretty well forced to agree that 1D-2N and 1D-3C are
>both invitational (~10-12).  See Hardy.

>For an excellent discussion of the alternative treatments of 1D-2C and their
>implications, see Lawrence's _Workbook on the 2/1 System_ (it's about 1/3 of
>the book).

It all depends where you want to take the pressure off.

Lawrence likes strong jump-shifts.  The hands he gives make sense to
me, but the last time I was dealt one RHO overcalled.  Before that it
was several years.  Others can tell you why weak jump-shifts are
necessary in 2/1, although  I have never used them.  Finally, quite
a number of the "Eastern Scientific" bidders who use inverted minor
raises use 1D-3C (and even better, 1C-2D) as a limit raise of partner's
minor.  (Our resident slow-arrivalist will undoubtedly explain why
that is backwards.  I like 1C-2D and don't much care for 1D-3C used
this way.)

I have no problem with using 1D-3C for invitational hands in clubs.
I have considerable difficulty bidding 2NT over 1D holding a hand
like xxx xxx AQx KQxx.  As Lawrence points out, if NT is right (and
it seems very likely), you're playing it from the wrong side.

-- Don Varvel (varvel@cs.utexas.edu)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: tim@theory.lcs.mit.edu (timothy m wright)
Subject: ethics
Reply-To: tim@theory.lcs.mit.edu (timothy m wright)
Organization: Laboratory for Computer Science, MIT
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 22:23:10 GMT

An ethics query for you folks:

West is an LM who should know better, East is a relative novice and pickup
partner.  At a sectional swiss, 7th round, you sit South and pick up and
hear:  

None vul; W deals
N    E    S    W     Tx
--   --   --   3H    AKQ9
p    p               KQxx
                     AKx

You ask East about their agreements on preempts, and are told that they have
none; their card is sparsely filled out (NT openings, limit raises, weak 2s,
and leads, nothing else).  You bid 3NT, to play, and wind up in 5S after
poartner poulls to 4s, and shows one ace after RKC blackwood.

West overcalled on:

---
876xxx
Axxx
xxx

1) is a system that allows first-seat 3-level preempts like this systemically
too destructive for the ACBL?

2) assuming that this sort of preempting style is tolerated, what recourse
do I have when not informed about it?

--tim wright
  tim@theory.lcs.mit.edu
From: adam@irvine.com (Adam Beneschan)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: Help my partner play this hand
Date: 11 Dec 92 18:51:03 GMT
Article-I.D.: irvine.Bz3z13.Fwy
Organization: Irvine Compiler Corp., Irvine, California, USA

In article <1992Dec10.194741.15831@rayssd.ssd.ray.com> sgm@sgfb.ssd.ray.com (Steven G. Myerson) writes:

>   Matchpoints. None vul. North dealer.
>
>   North:  KJT,    A5,    K953,  AT76
>   South:  AQ954,  QJT3,  4,     KQ8
>
>   The bidding was straightforward, with EW passing:
>     North   South
>     1N-1    2C        1. 13-16
>     2D      3S
>     4S      pass
>
>   West led the ace of diamonds. East played the 7 (high encourages).
>   West continued with the ten of diamonds. Plan the play.

Basically, I take the heart finesse early.  If it wins, I can ruff my
third heart, and the fourth will go on the diamond king, making 6.  

It appears safest to ruff the second diamond and lead the heart queen
at trick 3.  Assuming it wins, cash the heart ace, trump to hand,
heart ruff, cash another trump, club to hand, draw trumps and claim.
This will make 6 even if trumps are 4-1 and clubs are 5-1.

At IMPs, I just win the king of diamonds and draw trumps.

                                -- Adam
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: courtel@cenatls.cena.dgac.fr (Nicolas Courtel)
Subject: Re: To 4SF or not to?
Organization: Centre d'Etudes de la Navigation Aerienne, Toulouse, France
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 14:44:27 GMT

>>>>> On Mon, 14 Dec 1992 13:32:17 GMT, ttllarsa@eua.ericsson.se (Lars Andersson) said:

|> Reading some interesting arguments regarding 4SF in another tread I decided
|> to create a little query on how people on the net play "Standard American".
|> I will NOT collect all results and create a statistical survey, so just go ahead
|> and respond (and comment) on news. I might respond to email but don't bet on it.

|> My purpose of this is to understand how SA works (or not) and to find out if there 
|> is a concensus regarding the system.


|> Assumptions:
|> ============
|> You are playing SA (no Flannery). Your partner opens 1H, you bid 1S and your 
|> partner 2D.

Well, I play Standard French, but it must be the same

|> Questions:
|> ==========
|> What do you do now playing
|> a. 4SF?
|> b. not 4SF?
|> c. Your favourite method?

|> (I assume you met your partner 10 minutes before playing time in a. and b.)

I only play 4SF, so for me a=c and b is excluded => I don't even need to say a
single word to my partner, just about everyone plays the same here in this
situation.

|> 1. (I bet you recognize this one)
|> AQxxx/AQ/xxx/xxx
|> a. 3C

|> 2.
|> AQxxx/AQx/xx/xxx
|> a. 4H (Not strong enough for 3C)

|> 3.
|> AQxxx/AQxx/xx/xx
|> a. 3C, followed by 3 or 4H (partner bids 3D if he's nothing more to say)

|> 4.
|> AQxxx/AQxx/Kx/xx
|> a. 3C, followed by 5H (= no C control)

|> 5.
|> QJxxxx/x/xxx/Kxx
|> a. 2S

|> 6.
|> KQJTxx/x/Kxx/xxx
|> a. 3S (non forcing)

|> 7.
|> AQJTxx/x/KJx/xxx
|> a. 4S (little overbid, but I like the diamonds)

|> 8.
|> AQxxxx/x/KJx/Axx
|> a. 3C, followed by 3S (I'll pass 3NT)

|> 9.
|> Qxxx/x/xxxx/AQxx
|> a. Pass; The two queens should be more or less useless

|> 10.
|> Axxx/x/Kxxx/Axxx
|> a. 3D

|> 11.
|> Qxxx/x/AKxx/AJxx
|> a. 3NT

|> 12.
|> KJxx/Qx/Qxx/Kxxx
|> a. 2NT

|> 13.
|> KJxx/Qx/AQx/Kxxx
|> a. 3NT

|> 14.
|> AJxxx/xx/xx/AQxx
|> a. 2NT

|> 15.
|> AQxxx/Qx/xx/AKxx
|> a. 3C

|> 16.
|> KJxxx/xx/xx/Qxxx
|> a. 2H

|> 17.
|> Axxxx/Kxx/Qxx/xx
|> a. 3H (non forcing)

|> 18.
|> AQxxx/Kxx/Qxx/xx
|> a. 4H

|> 19.
|> AQxxx/KQx/Kxx/xx
|> a. 4H

|> 20. 
|> AQxxx/xx/AKxxx/x
|> a. 4D (forcing)

|> 21. 
|> AKxxx/KQxx/Axx/x
|> a. 3C


|> --lars

Nicolas
--
Nicolas Courtel - courtel@dgac.fr

>>>                Le but d'un programme informatique                 <<<
>>>         est de ne pas etre depasse avant d'etre termine.          <<<
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: sgm@sgfb.ssd.ray.com (Steven G. Myerson)
Subject: Re: interesting hand
Organization: Raytheon Submarine Signal Division
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 16:53:25 GMT

In article <1992Dec13.092129.19590@netcom.com> Rudy writes:

* Some interesting hands came up this weekend in Pasadena -- I might post
* a bunch of them later, here's one:
* 
* --
* AJTx
* AKxx
* AKQxx
* 
* 2S  X  4S  5H
* P   ?

5N (Grand Slam Force) if you're playing it.

*     5N P   7H
* 7S  X ----
* 
* What do you think of the auction?  

What else are you going to do over 7S, bid 7N?

* You lead club King and dummy is:
* Qxxxx  xx  QJx xxx  Standard signals, partner plays the Jack.  Your plan?

I'd try to cash 3 clubs, as many hearts as will cash,
and eventually get my diamond trick(s).

Steve Myerson (sgm@sgfb.ssd.ray.com)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: Help my partner play this hand
From: avir@chen.bgu.ac.il (Avi Roy Shapira)
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 21:50:29 GMT
Organization: Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel

sgm@sgfb.ssd.ray.com (Steven G. Myerson) writes:
: As the subject line indicates, my partner did not achieve the optimal
: matchpoint result on this hand. I do not disagree with the way he
: played the hand, but we would like comments from the net.experts,
: net.intermediates, and net.novices, or anyone else with a thought or two.
:
: Matchpoints. None vul. North dealer.
:
: North:  KJT,    A5,    K953,  AT76
: South:  AQ954,  QJT3,  4,     KQ8
:
: The bidding was straightforward, with EW passing:
:   North   South
:   1N-1    2C        1. 13-16
:   2D      3S
:   4S      pass
:
: West led the ace of diamonds. East played the 7 (high encourages).
: West continued with the ten of diamonds. Plan the play.
:
You have 11 tricks on top, barring very bad breaks, so the problem is
how to make 12. You can make 12 tricks if the heart finesse is on.

The simple road to 12 tricks is to discard a heart on the K of diamonds,
cross to the k of C, and finesse the hearts. If the heart finesse wins,
play S to  the K, A of hearts , TS to Q, ruff a heart with the JS. If
trumps are 32, return by ruffing a diamond high, and if trumps are
4-1 retrun with the Q of clubs.

Avi
--
Aviel Roy-Shapira, M.D.         Ben-Gurion University Medical School
Dept. of Surgery A.             POB 151, Beer Sheva, Israel
avir@chen.bgu.ac.il             AVIR@BGUVM.BITNET
From: taylor@foraker.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Eric Taylor)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: handling slow players
Date: 11 Dec 92 19:03:01 GMT

In article <1992Dec8.022402.15631@Princeton.EDU>, spencer@ernie.Princeton.EDU (S. Spencer Sun) writes:
|> Now, what I'm wondering is, what sort of rules are there about
|> expediting play?  Are there penalties?  Does anyone have any ideas for
|> polite ways in which you could suggest to your opponents that they are
|> playing too slow?  Besides, say, stacking your cards, staring at the
|> ceiling, gazing around the room in a bored manner, heaving sighs, etc.
|> How long do you give someone before you start looking irritated?


It is VERY bad form to suggest to a player that he is taking
too long (directly or indirectly).  He knows it already and is in a difficult
bind.  If he is in a tough situation, he might get flustered
and do the wrong thing.

The best way to handle it is to use rules.  I believe there
are established rules for handling this (especially in Zip Swiss).
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: adam@irvine.com (Adam Beneschan)
Subject: Re: Place the Blame
Organization: Irvine Compiler Corp., Irvine, California, USA
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 01:46:19 GMT

In article <1gonqpINNp72@sol.deakin.OZ.AU> doug@cm.deakin.OZ.AU 
(Douglas Newlands) writes:

>   3 Defence: Here declarer makes a hopeless contract - who should have 
>   found the defence?
>
>   Teams              S xxx
>   NS                 H AKQJ10
>   D-N                D xx                   N     E      S    W
>                      C xxx                  P     P     1N    P
>                                             2D    P     2H    P
>           S 9xx2              S QJ10x       4H  all pass
>           H xxx               H xx
>           D A10x              D KJx
>           C Qxx               C KJ10x
>
>                      S AK
>                      H xxx
>                      D Qxxxx
>                      C Axx
>
>   The play started T1 9S xS xS AS
>                    T2 xD 10D xD xD
>                    T3 2s xS 10S KS
>                    T4 xD xD xD JD
>                    T5 QS         and declarer is now home.


Each partner gets 100% of the blame.  Neither one was trying to defeat
the contract.  

First, West can easily figure out after the first trick that their
side has no spade tricks coming.  Declarer cannot have any spades
lower than the 10, since West can see all the lower ones.  If East
didn't have something like his actual holding, he would have played a
higher card at trick 1 (e.g. the queen from KQxx), and declarer
wouldn't have won with the ace.  So a club shift is indicated, because
E-W need two club tricks to defeat the contract.

From East's point of view, South must have the spade king from the
lead.  South could have AKx or AKxx, but in either case, the defense
will only get one spade trick, and with at most two diamond tricks,
the defense needs at least one club trick.  At trick 5, East can
assume that declarer's diamonds are about to be set up, based on his
line of play.  Therefore, if declarer has the ace of clubs, it's
important to knock it out immediately before declarer can use it as an
entry to the diamonds.  If West has the ace of clubs, of course, the
defense can take two clubs immediately to beat the contract.  So East
must shift to a club to have any chance of beating the contract.  Yes,
I know West's spade plays might have misled East, but that's really no
excuse. 

BTW, when defensive problems like this are posted, it's necessary to
state the range of the 1NT opening, so that we can tell what
inferences the defenders should or should not have made based on HCP. 

                                -- Adam

Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge