Little defensive slips

Defence is hard. Really hard. Often minor errors are never even recognised as mistakes and we go on thinking we're doing well.

I'll talk through a hand and you see if you can spot the mistake.

	♠ K 9 6 3 ♥ 7 ♦ 9 7 5 4 2 ♣ A 6 4
♠ J 7 4 ♥ J 6 3 ♦ K 6 3 ♣ Q J 9 2		♠ A 8 2 ♥ Q 9 8 4 ♦ Q T ♣ K 8 5 3
	♠ Q T 5 ♥ A K T 5 2 ♦ A J 8 ♣ T 7

South	North
1♥	1♠
1NT	End

The opening lead was the ♣Q to which partner flew with dummy's Ace and played a diamond to the Ten, Jack and King. The defence cashed three clubs and fired back a heart.

Partner now cashed the ♦A felling the ♦Q and played a spade towards the table. When the ♠K lost to the Ace partner claimed one spade, two hearts, four diamonds and a club; +120. The 8 of diamonds being the critical entry to the 9 on table.

In a weak NT field where most of the room can't open or rebid 1NT we got a great board for a plus score but there were a few NS making +110 in spades or diamonds so that over trick was crucial.

See the mistake?

It's all in the diamonds, imagine if West ducked the first round. The layout would look like this:

	♠ K 9 6 3 ♥ 7 ♦ 9 7 5 4 ♣ 6 4
♠ J 7 4 ♥ J 6 3 ♦ K 6 ♣ J 9 2		♠ A 8 2 ♥ Q 9 8 4 ♦ Q ♣ K 5 3
	♠ Q T 5 ♥ A K T 5 2 ♦ A 8 ♣ T

Now how will you get to dummy?

That's good but declarer can concede a spade to collect 7 tricks. Say East throws the Queen on the first round? It can hardly cost but now the pressure comes off West and rests back on South.

Suddenly with the diamond suit unclear declarer can see just 1 spade, 2 hearts, 1 diamond and 1 club. A diamond guess (continuing the Jack after covering the Queen with the Ace) will provide the 7th but a miss step will now lead to defeat.