Our defense went awry in this online deal. Can you decide where the rot set in?
North certainly should not have bid four hearts over three spades — he had an extra trump, but his spade queen was a defensive card, and South had only made a competitive call.
Sitting West, I decided to lead a tricky heart jack, which went to the king and ace. Declarer simply played back a trump, and my partner discarded the club five. (We play low discards as encouraging.) I switched to the club queen and then continued the suit to partner’s king. A spade came through now, but it was too late. Declarer rose with the spade ace, crossed in trumps and took the ruffing club finesse. With the diamond king onside, he could take a winning finesse in that suit and then throw his spade loser on the established club.
So, where did it all go wrong? My shift to the club queen served to set up a trick for declarer. True, I was stuck for a safe way off lead, but maybe I should have tried a low club instead, hoping to get partner in for a spade shift. That would have defeated the contract in no time.
My partner might have saved me, though. I would have led a singleton club queen, so she knew we needed a trick from the pointed suits. She might have overtaken the club queen and put a spade through. If declarer had only one spade, his distribution would have to be 1=6=4=2. Thus, whatever diamond tricks we had coming would not disappear if East switched to diamonds upon scoring her other club trick.