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Your partner now has two choices. If he wins with the queen, declarer can finesse the ten of diamonds the next round and score four diamond tricks. East does better to duck, but it will not beat the contract on this occasion. Declarer will finesse the club queen successfully, return to dummy with the diamond ace and finesse the jack of clubs. He will then have nine tricks available. See how much better the defence goes if you rise with the king on the first round of diamonds! What can declarer do? If he wins with the ace, he will make only one diamond trick. If instead he ducks, planning to finesse you for the queen on the next round, he will make no diamond tricks at all. Either way, he will fail to make the contract. You are playing rubber bridge and partner’s double is for penalties. You have no justification whatsoever for removing partner’s double and should pass. You have good defensive cards and can expect a fair penalty. If you were playing duplicate bridge and partner’s double was negative (for take-out), then you would rebid 3H to suggest a game. AWARDS: Pass — 10, 3H-4, 2H-3
— David Bird (Knight Features) |
South
opens 2NT, raised to 3NT, and you lead the ten of hearts from the West
seat. Declarer captures partner’s queen with the ace and leads a
diamond. How do you read the situation? If you play low, as many players
would, declarer will play the jack from dummy. 
