Weakened Trumps
A K J 6
9 8 3 2
Q 3
8 6 4
8 7 3
A K J 6 4
8 7 4
Q 10
10 9 5 2
7
J 9 5 2
A K J 3
Q 4
Q 10 5
A K 10 6
9 7 5 2
Notrump
East/West have four clubs and three hearts off the top, while North/South
have four spades and four diamonds off the top.
Spades
If West is on lead (East on lead is easier), East overtakes the first club,
and then leads a heart, West taking three hearts. Then East overtakes
another club, cashes a third club, then, on the fourth club, promotes
a trump trick in his hand.
If North/South are on lead, they draw trumps immediately then take four
diamonds.
Hearts
If North/South are on lead, they take three spades then three diamonds.
They have an eventual natural trump trick.
If East/West are on lead, the defense play four rounds of clubs immediately,
pitching two diamonds. North can ruff but if so, West can get at least
four trump tricks.
Diamonds
If East/West are on lead, they defend as they did against spades, ovetaking a
club, taking three rounds of hearts, two more top clubs, and a fourth
round of clubs, West ruffing high. North must overruff with the queen,
setting up another trick for the defense.
Clubs
If East/West are on lead, they just draw four clubs then take three hearts.
With North/South on lead, life is a little subtler. East/West's trump
suit does not seem succeptible to a promotion, but the suit does possess
a weakness.
Notice how, on defense against a number of contracts above, with West
on opening least, East sometimes needs to overtake twice in clubs.
East has an entry problem. North/South can make East's problem a bit
worse.
North/South take three top tricks in both diamonds (finessing the ten)
and spades, South pitching a heart, leading to this position:
North leads the
♠ J, and West must ruff, South pitching a heart.
Now East/West's entries are all tangled. East's hand cannot overtake the
♣ Q without promoting a trump trick in the South hand. Neither can
East cash the
♣ Q and get to his hand with a high heart rough, or
South just pitches his high diamond and scores a long trump. If East/West try
a cross-ruff, South can over-ruff the first heart ruffed.
What would happen if South was on lead after six tricks in the above
position, and led his good diamond? West again would have to ruff, but
now South still has two hearts. East/West take the next six tricks by
playing the
♥ A, ruff a heart with the
♣ 3,
ruff a spade in West and East is left with
♣ A-K-J,
scoring the last three tricks. East/West score six trump tricks and a
heart.