Puzzle 7F18 Main |
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South appears to have mistaken Valentine’s Day for Christmas in the bidding, as the final bid is more than a tad optimistic. Perhaps you can save the day and find a way to make this grand slam — or at least give it a try before you look at the answer.
North deals | ![]() | West | North | East | South | |
N-S vul | ![]() | 1 NT | Pass | 2 ![]() | ||
![]() | Pass | 2 ![]() | Pass | 3 ![]() | ||
![]() | Pass | 4 ![]() | Pass | 4 NT | ||
![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Pass | 5 ![]() | Pass | 7 ![]() |
![]() | ![]() | All Pass | ||||
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Lead: ![]() | ![]() | |||||
7 ![]() | ![]() |
At first the contract looks easy, as declarer has 12 top tricks (five hearts, four diamonds, two clubs, one spade) and can ruff a low club in dummy for 13. Not true! If you ruff a club, you cannot win four diamond tricks, because the suit is blocked.
Are you a magician? Take it from there.
Puzzle 7F18 Main | ![]() | Top Valentine Magic |
Since declarer has 12 tricks, either in high cards or by ruffing a club at the expense of a diamond trick, the first idea would be a squeeze. Perhaps East can be squeezed, since he holds the K and a diamond stopper. No, East will discard after dummy so it will not work.
The solution is indeed based on a squeeze, but not the ordinary kind. Both opponents are involved in a double ruffout squeeze. The ending is difficult to spot because a key element — North’s 5 — appears to be irrelevant opposite South’s 10-9-8.
Win the club lead in hand and cash K-J, or any two trumps as long as you save the queen.
7 ![]() | ![]() | Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
![]() | 1. W | ![]() | 4! | 7 | K | ||
![]() | 2. S | ![]() | 7 | 3 | 2 | ||
![]() | 3. S | ![]() | 8 | 6 | 5 | ||
![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 4. S | ![]() | 3 | K! | 2 |
![]() | ![]() | 5. N | ![]() | 10 | ![]() | 7 | |
![]() | ![]() | 6. S | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 3 | |
![]() | ![]() | 7. S | ![]() | 9 | Q | ![]() | |
![]() | 8. N | ![]() | 5 | ![]() | ![]() | ||
![]() | 9. N | ![]() | 6 | ![]() | ![]() | ||
![]() | continued below… | ||||||
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Next lead the Q and overtake in dummy to run the
9. Assume East covers with the 10 (if not pitch a spade and ruff the
8); ruff with the
10 (or any heart) and cash the
A (key play). Cross to the
Q and win two more diamonds to reach this ending:
![]() | ![]() | Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
![]() | 10. N | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
![]() | 11. N | ![]() | |||||
![]() | Declarer succeeds | ||||||
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North leads | ![]() |
Now lead the good 8 to pitch your remaining spade. East must discard a club (else his
K ruffs out) then West is in trouble. If West throws a spade, dummy’s queen is led through East to smother the jack and establish the
5. If West instead throws a club, the
A is cashed and South wins the last trick with the
3 — or more dramatically, the carefully preserved
2.
Puzzle 7F18 Main | ![]() | Top Valentine Magic |
© 1987 Richard Pavlicek