Hi all
I haven’t posted for a while. Busy with work (understanding RF technology, testing & writing python code), holidays on Hawaii, friends and friends with babies.
Here’s a nice defence from Drew and me in San Francisco. With gentle hand we set declarer in 2NT (weak NT – Invite – No thanks). Let’s look at Drew’s analysis at the table:
Drew sees me leading the 
3 (3rd – 5th). He inserts the Jack and it wins the trick. So he knows instantly that I have led from KQ32. That leaves Declarer with T7. So returning the 9 is expensive, because of the 8 in dummy. The 6 hits the table via the Ten, Queen and Ace.
Declarer played a 
to his Jack and a 
to dummy’s Ten for Drew’s Jack. After cashing the 9 Drew found himself cornered. Declarer can be counted out perfectly: Ace, AJ and the 
King. So switching to a Major will solve declarer’s problem immediately. And even is not without danger if declarer holds the Ten. So Drew played me for that card, and returned a small via my Ten to dummy’s Ace.
Declarer could have shined now by endplaying Drew with two more rounds of , but he chose to set up his 13th . When the smoke cleared we pocketed two tricks in both black suits and one in each red suit.
Deep finesse says that South should be able to clear 8 tricks in NT … Well, you need to take the second , take a finesse and then endplay East with three rounds of . East can take another and a 13th , but then has to lead away from one of his Major suit Kings. In that suit you can endplay East again to lead away from the other King.