1. Conceivably you could add length points for the long hearts and consider this in the balanced 15-17 range for 1NT, but we don't do that with a six-card major. With a five-card major or six-card minor and a balanced hand in the 15-17 range, sure--but not here.
Partner leads the 8 and after declarer pauses to make his plan, you know he will have to play dummy's singleton Q. And you?
Choose One:
K--like a robot--"3rd hand high"
Some other heart.
Answer: 2 -
Some other heart.
Yes, my sarcasm likely helped, but that is the point of studying defense. You can't just play like a robot without thinking. Did you pay attention to partner's 8? Can you tell declarer has AJ10? He must. What possible heart holding could partner lead the 8 from that also includes the ace, jack or ten? Right, there is none.
Once you realize declarer has the AJ10, you can see the futility of covering; it gives declarer 3 heart tricks. If he was scheduled to lose 2 club tricks, he no longer will lose them (2 of dummy's clubs will go on the good hearts after trump are drawn.). Look at the full deal below.
If you robotically cover the honor with the honor, declarer draws trump and claims (throwing 2 clubs from dummy on the good hearts). If you intelligently don't cover, declarer must lose 4 top tricks in the minors for down 1.
Thank you for playing the 4 practice deals on Over My Shoulder Defense (3 of 6).
52 
K97632 
AK9 
A5.
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