Declarer Play -- Blocked!

This post talks about playing the High cards from the Short side. To read more about that check out this post first:
Declarer Play - High Cards from the Short Side

The reason why bridge players play high cards from the short side is to avoid a suit getting blocked. Just what does it mean for a suit to be blocked? Go grab a deck of cards.

Deal out only 1 suit (♠) and give yourself the ♠K and Dummy the ♠AQ4

Dummy
♠AQ4

Declarer
♠K

How many tricks do you have?

At first glance it looks like you have three tricks. After all you have the A♠, the K♠ and the Q♠. The top three tricks in the suit.

But this suit is BLOCKED.

If you play the K♠ and the 4♠ from Dummy you are in your hand. You have two ♠ winners in Dummy but HOW do you get there?

Hopefully you have another side suit that you can get to Dummy with. But if you just realize that the suit is blocked near the end of the hand you might not. You need to recognize what suits can get blocked EARLY in the playing out of the contract. That way you can unblock them and get all the tricks you deserve.

Are the following suits BLOCKED or can you play HIGH cards from the SHORT side to avoid blocking them?

Example 1:

Dummy
♠Q

Declarer
♠AK2

Answer:
This suit is blocked. Once I play the Q♠ and the 2♠ from my hand I have NO little ♠ to get to the good A♠ and K♠ in my hand!

Example 2:

Dummy
♠KQJ4

Declarer
♠A2

Answer: This suit is NOT blocked. I can play the 4♠ from Dummy towards the A♠ in my hand. When I win that I can play the 2♠ towards all the good ♠ in Dummy.

Now you try!

Some of these are tricky! Play them out at home first before you answer.

Hand 1

Dummy
♠QJ42

Declarer
♠AK



Hand 2

Dummy
♠AQ

Declarer
♠KJ62



Hand 3

Dummy
♠K8

Declarer
♠AQ2



Hand 4

Dummy
♠KQJ4

Declarer
♠A



Hand 5

Dummy
♠KQ

Declarer
♠AJ42



Hand 6

Dummy
♠AJT2

Declarer
♠KQ



Hand 7

Dummy
♠Q4

Declarer
♠AKJT82



Hand 8

Dummy
♠Q532

Declarer
♠AKJ



Hand 9

Dummy
♠K

Declarer
♠AQJT98



Hand 10

Dummy
♠AJ84

Declarer
♠KQ32



Hand 11

Dummy
♠AKQ32

Declarer
♠9765