Puzzles 7F02 Main
Read My Lips!
by Richard PavlicekPuzzles 7F02 Main |
| by Richard Pavlicek |
Vote for me, and I promise that I will promise you anything to keep my campaign afloat. To begin, I offer you three 6 
contracts with identical trump holdings, each of which can be made with a tricky play. Trust me. I am not a crook.
| South deals | 8 7 6 | West | North | East | South | |
| Both vul |  8 | 1
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 A K Q 6 5 | Pass | 2 | Pass | 3
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 J 8 5 2 | Pass | 4 | Pass | 6
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| 9 5 3 |  | 4 | Pass | Pass | Pass | |
| K Q 6 5 4 2 | A J 10 9 7 3
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| 4 | J 3 2
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| Q 7 6 | K 10 9
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| A K Q J 10 2
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| —
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| Lead: K | 10 9 8 7
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| 6 South | A 4 3 | |||||
Twelve tricks look easy until you realize the diamond suit is blocked. If you ruff the heart lead, draw trumps and run diamonds, you can only win four diamond tricks; after cashing A-K-Q you will be left with the 10 opposite dummy’s 6-5 and no way to reach the fifth diamond.
| Puzzles 7F02 Main |  | Top Read My Lips! |
I told you I was not a crook, but then I lie a lot. See if you can make this one:
| South deals | 8 7 6 | West | North | East | South | |
| None vul | A 8 5 4 2 | 2
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| A Q 10 8 7 | Pass | 2 | Pass | 2
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| — | Pass | 3 | Pass | 3
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| 9 5 3 |  | 4 | Pass | 6 | All Pass | |
| K 10 9 3 | Q J 7 6
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| 6 | K J 9
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| J 10 9 8 4 | 7 6 5 3 2
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| A K Q J 10 2
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| —
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| Lead: J | 5 4 3 2
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| 6 South | A K Q | |||||
You have 11 top tricks, but the foul diamond division makes a 12th trick elusive. If you try to discard three of dummy’s diamonds on top clubs then ruff a diamond in dummy (after losing a diamond), you will fail because West will ruff in front of dummy with his 9.
| Puzzles 7F02 Main | | Top Read My Lips! |
Remember to vote for me in November! Until then, one more chance to be a genius:
| South deals | 8 7 6 | West | North | East | South | |
| None vul | A K 2 | 2
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| 9 8 6 | Pass | 2 NT | Pass | 3
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| Q J 5 4 | Pass | 4 | Pass | 6
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| 9 5 3 | | 4 | Pass | Pass | Pass | |
| Q J 10 9 4 3 | 8 7 6 5
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| Q | K J 10 2
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| 10 3 2 | 9 8 7 6
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| A K Q J 10 2
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| —
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| Lead: Q | A 7 5 4 3
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| 6 South | A K | |||||
This time you have 13 top tricks but cannot reach them. The blockage in the clubs prevents you from cashing more than two club tricks. Your first thought might be to discard the A-K on the two top hearts, but this still gives you only two club tricks.
| Puzzles 7F02 Main | Solutions | Top Read My Lips! |
The winning play is to discard a diamond at trick one instead of ruffing. Then no matter which suit is led, you will be able to draw trumps and run the entire diamond suit on which you will discard your two small clubs.
The winning play is to establish dummy’s long heart which requires four entries to dummy. To achieve this you must ruff all of your high clubs in dummy! Ruff the opening club lead; heart ruff; club ruff; heart ruff; club ruff; heart ruff; then draw trumps. The 8 is established and you still have the A as an entry.
The winning play is to force West to provide your entry. Win the K (or optionally you can play the 2 and ruff with the 10) but do not cash the A. Win two top trumps, the A-K and the A, then lead the 2 to give West the nine. He must return a heart or a club, which allows you to discard all of your losing diamonds.
| Puzzles 7F02 Main | | Top Read My Lips! |
© 1992 Richard Pavlicek