K 9 2 K J 9 5 Q K Q 10 9 6

Take these South cards from this 2009 Grand National Teams deal.

Vulnerable against not, you open 1 in second seat.

Your LHO preempts to 2 and your partner bids 3. It is up to you.

There is no need to bid your hearts (if partner had hearts, he would have made a negative double--or he is strong enough to bid hearts on the next round). You have spades stopped and a notrump-looking hand. You should bid 3NT, which buys the contract.

West leads the J (Standard) and you see:

	Q 3 6 3 A K J 10 9 8 J 3 2
	K 9 2 K J 9 5 Q K Q 10 9 6

What is your thinking?

We seem to be short on aces.

At notrump, I like to count winners. You have one spade and six diamonds for sure.

You will need to set up the clubs to make your contract.

Meanwhile, you can't afford to let the defense run spades.

Let's say you win the K in hand. That can't possibly work. As soon as you knock out the A, the defense will run spades. How about winning the Q in dummy at trick one?

Whether or not you run diamonds, you will eventually have to knock out that A. You might as well try now, before you squeeze yourself on the run of the diamonds.

If East has the A, you are dead. He will poke a spade through your king. What if West has the A? Still no good. He should know (from partner's failure to raise to 3, and his count signal at trick one) that declarer has the K still guarded. His only chance will be to try to cross to his partner's A for a spade through. East must have at least one (if not both aces).

So, no matter where you win the first spade, you are doomed.

There's the answer. Don't win the first spade!

Sure, West can now clear the spades (ace and another), but you have a chance to make your contract. If East has both side aces (not so unlikely on the auction), you can make your contract. This was the full deal:

Vul: N-S Dir: East	Q 3 6 3 A K J 10 9 8 J 3 2
A J 10 8 7 5 10 8 4 4 3 8 7		6 4 A Q 7 2 7 6 5 2 A 5 4
	K 9 2 K J 9 5 Q K Q 10 9 6

West led the J. By simply ducking in both hands, you will make your contract.

The defense can take only 3 more tricks--all aces. West can never run his spades.

This variation of the simple holdup play is hard to spot at first, but once you think of it, you make an effortless 600 and win 14 IMPs.  

At the other table, declarer played dummy's Q at trick one and went down three tricks.

While this play was made during a team game, you should make the same play at matchpoints. You give up on a slight chance for overtricks (West holding the A), but that risk comes with the chance that the opponents might defeat your contract (West winning the A and playing a heart to their partner's A followed by a spade back for the aforementioned down three). 

Updated: Jan 2022