This Real Deal comes from Bernadette Hennessy May. 

Vul:EW Dlr: West	J853  Q108  742  KJ9
K4  KJ6  KQ109  Q1076		9762  732  863  852
	AQ10  A954  AJ5  A43

West	North	East	South
1	Pass	Pass	2NT
Pass	3NT	All Pass

West deals and has a nice balanced 14-count. Why “nice?” The 10 in clubs as part of a four-card suit including a higher honor is a good value (much more valuable than a stray 10 such as 1042). The 109 in diamonds along with two high honors are even more valuable. Picture partner with the jack. We have the potential for three diamond tricks. Still, we don’t quite have enough to consider this to be worth 15-17. Maybe if we had the same high cards, same 10’s and 9’s and a fifth diamond, we could upgrade to a 1NT opening. With 4-4 in the minors, there is no “standard.” I generally prefer to open 1, especially if the suit is decent as it is here.

After West’s 1, North and East have absolutely nothing to say, but South is still counting HCP. What should South do with that balanced 19-count? A direct-seat 1NT overcall tops out at a so-so 18. In balancing seat, a 1NT overcall shows much less, about 12-15. So, South is way too strong for that. One possibility is to double and then bid notrump. However, there is a rule that might be new to a lot of readers! In balancing seat: “No jumps are weak.” In fact, all jump overcalls show good hands. A balancing seat jump to 2NT shows something like this – about 20 (give or take) balanced.

For South to make such a bid, he must trust his partner. Hopefully North doesn’t mistakenly think this is “Unusual” for the two lowest unbid suits (which it would be in direct seat). With his balanced 7-count, North raises to 3NT which buys the contract (yes, 3 would be Stayman but it is not advisable with 4-3-3-3 shape).

The Opening Lead

From a three-card sequence, we’d be delighted to lead the top card.  West’s diamond holding is almost a three-card sequence, so he should still lead an honor. Don’t lead 4^th-best when your suit is headed by AKJ or KQ10 or QJ9, etc.  (think of it as a two-and-a-half card sequence).  So, the K is led? Not so fast. Here is another thing to learn. What a month this is! From specifically KQ109(x) against notrump, there is a special lead—the queen! Normally, partner will expect this to be from queen-jack and signal accordingly. But here, the beauty is that if partner has the jack, he will play it!  That is what the queen lead is used for in such a situation. So, West leads the Q, but is disappointed when his partner can’t produce the jack.

The Play

Declarer counts winners in notrump. There are only five off the top (the four aces and the club king), but tons of potential for more. Aside from taking a club finesse, declarer can work on either major. From the bidding, he suspects almost all (in this case all) of the high cards are with the opening bidder.

Declarer should let the Q win the first trick. This holdup play with AJx is referred to as a “Bath Coup.” Not only does it stop the suit from being continued, but if it is continued, it hands declarer a second trick.

After West’s Q wins, he is in a real quandary. What next? Another diamond will surely go into declarer’s ace-jack and give away a trick. The Q is onside and finessable, but some days declarer has Axxx (a fourth) club. On a club switch, declarer would be able to win dummy’s 9. Then later come to hand and finesse the jack and take four club tricks. We can see that today, declarer has only three clubs, so a club shift wouldn’t cost. How about a spade? Definitely dangerous and not advisable. A heart? Okay for the time being, but what if declarer wins and plays ace and another heart, putting West back into misery.

You won’t believe what the winning solution is. In real life, I suspect West would play a club or a heart. Declarer would eventually knock out both the K and K and emerge with 10 easy tricks (one diamond and three of everything else).

West can’t set the contract, but a diamond at trick two is the only way to prevent an overtrick. Declarer wins and plays a major. West wins the king and plays a third diamond, setting up a long diamond. When in with the other major-suit king, West cashes a well-earned diamond trick to hold declarer to his contract.

Lesson Points:

1) A good balanced 14-count with a decent five-card suit can be opened 1NT (15-17).

2) In balancing seat there are no weak jump overcalls.

3) In balancing seat, a jump to 2NT shows a balanced hand with approximately 19-21.

4) Don’t lead 4^th best when you have 3 touching (or almost touching) honors.

5) From KQ109, lead the queen – this asks partner to unblock the jack.

6) A “Bath Coup” is the holdup play from AJx when a high honor is led.