A Mysterious Challenge

This one is an example of what I would call sloppy declarer play. West could hardly be blamed for raising East to a small slam when East opens with a preempt of 3D. That might make East a bit more careful in the declarer play if the results I saw are anything to go by.

Board 18 from Monday 27/01/20
Dealer E NS Vul

AKT9765
Q7
8
QT3
AT542
AJT
AJ542
4
83
KQ97632
K98
QJ832
KJ96
54
76

5D is the sensible and conservative contract, and making twelve tricks should be routine. There should be no excuse for just blithely thanking partner for the wonderful dummy and then just taking the easily available eleven tricks. Any declarer who takes a bit of time to think should see that there is EITHER a heart or a club loser ... but not both. If the defence attacks hearts at trick one, declarer must keep playing on hearts, and after losing one heart trick, declarer can establish dummy’s fifth heart with a ruff: no club loser. All declarer has to do is to ensure that there is an entry to dummy after the fifth heart is established. And on a spade lead, declarer can establish either the clubs OR hearts. Playing on clubs and taking a finesse for the possible thirteenth trick is safe enough after the spade lead.

But how did the declarers who made only eleven tricks find a way to lose two tricks? That is a mystery to me and should also be a mystery to most players who take a bit of time to think about their play. See if you can manage this trick yourself by clicking here.