Andrew:

Working out partners cards

Here are the basic guidelines for a defender playing third:

Play high, if dummy has only low cards.
Play the cheaper of touching highest cards.
Keep a high card to beat an unplayed picture in dummy (NB: only save the ace to beat the queen or king)

. In (A), play the underlined card as East, after ♣ 4, ♣ 2:

A)	Dummy ♣ J52
West ♣ 4 (led)		East(you) (i) ♣ Q 10 6
		(ii) ♣ Q 10 9
		(iii) ♣ Q 10 9 8
		(iv) ♣ K 10 6
		(v) ♣ K 10 9

In (B), you are West, the leader. What can you work out about the missing high cards, given the play to first round (♦ 3, ♦ 4, ...)?

B)	Dummy ♦ J 7 4
West ♦ K 8 6 3	Declarer	East (a) ♦ 10
	(a) ♦ A	(b) ♦ 10
	(b) ♦ Q	(c) ♦ 9
	(c) ♦ A	(d) ♦ Q
	(d) ♦ A

(a) Declarer would win ♦ Q if he held it, so East holds ♦ Q. East would play the cheaper ♦ 9 from♦ Q109, so declarer has ♦ 9.
(b) Partner would play ♦ A had he held it, so declarer has ♦ A. Partner would play ♦ 9 from ♦ 109, so declarer also has ♦ 9.
(c) Declarer would win with ♦ Q or ♦ 10 if held. Partner has ♦ Q109.
(d) Partner would play ♦ 10 if he held ♦ Q10, so declarer holds ♦ 10

South Deals
None Vul

♠	9 5
♥	J 5 2
♦	A J 7 3 2
♣	J 9 6

♠	K 7 4
♥	K 8 6 3
♦	K 10 8 4
♣	A Q

N
W		E
S

♠	8 3
♥	Q 10 9
♦	Q 9 6
♣	8 5 4 3 2

♠	A Q J 10 6 2
♥	A 7 4
♦	5
♣	K 10 7

West	North	East	South
			1 ♠
Dbl1	1 N	Pass	2 ♠
Pass	Pass	Pass

1 NT okay, but he does have four hearts.

What happened
West hit upon ♥ 3 lead, when ♦ 4 or ♠ 4 were sound alternatives. Dummy played ♥ 2 and East played ♥ 9. Declarer won ♥ A, crossed to ♦ A, then ran ♠ 9. West won ♠ K and tried to cash ♦ K. Fatally. Declarer trumped, drew trumps, then drove out ♣ AQ to set up a third-round winner. Eight tricks and part score made.
What should have happened
When at Trick One East’s ♥ 9 draws declarer’s ♥ A, West knows that East holds ♥ Q10. After winning ♠ K at Trick Three, West leads ♥ 6. East wins ♥ 10 and returns ♣ 8 (lead high for hate) around to dummy’s weakness. West wins ♣ Q and cashes ♣ A, to void himself. He then leads ♥ 8, underleading ♥ K for a second time. East wins ♥ Q and leads a third club. West trumps, and that means down one.
If you remember one thing...
Often you can work out the whereabouts of every higher card than partner’s third-hand play

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Andrew:

Working out partners cards