Andrew:

When to duck

A defender who can anticipate how the declarer is going to play a hand is a dangerous defender indeed. Accurate anticipation is in part a product of experience and intuition, but there are certain situations that can easily be learnt. For example if declarer has a repeatable finessing position and he takes a winning finesse, he is sure to want to repeat the finesse. Look at the ♦s on this week’s deal.

South Deals
None Vul

♠	A 8 6
♥	7 5
♦	A Q J 4 2
♣	J 6 5

♠	J 9 4 2
♥	J 10 9 8
♦	9 7
♣	A 9 4

N
W		E
S

♠	10 7
♥	6 4 3 2
♦	K 10 8 3
♣	K 10 3

♠	K Q 5 3
♥	A K Q
♦	6 5
♣	Q 8 7 2

East	South	West	North
	1 ♠	Pass	2 ♦
Pass	2 NT	Pass	3 ♠
Pass	3 NT	Pass	Pass
Pass

Declarer won West’s ♥ J lead with ♥ Q and led ♦ 5 to dummy’s ♦ J. Say East wins ♦ K - and returns ♥ 3. Declarer wins ♥ K, plays to dummy’s ♦ Q, cashes ♦ A, and concedes ♦ 2 to East’s ♦ 10. East plays ♥ 6 to declarer’s ♥ A and declarer crosses to ♠ A, cashes ♦ 4, then returns to ♠ KQ. Nine tricks.
But, anticipating that declarer would repeat the ♦ finesse, East (smoothly) ducked ♦ J at trick two. Declarer crossed back to his ♠ Q and led ♦ 6 to ♦ Q. This time East won ♦ K – and led ♥ 3. Declarer won ♥ K, crossed to ♠ A, and cashed ♦ A hoping for an even split. West discarded a ♣ so dummy’s ♦s were dead (for the lack of an entry to return to them after conceding the fourth round). Declarer was left hoping that the missing ♠s were split 3-3. He cashed ♠ K then ♠ Q but, when East discarded a ♣ on ♠ Q, was unable to make any more tricks apart from ♥ A. He was one down.

ANDREW’S TIP: As a defender, duck when declarer takes a repeatable finesse.

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Andrew:

When to duck