Puzzle 7F21 Main

The Declarer Reversal

by Richard Pavlicek

North’s jump to 4 is a Texas transfer to 4 , a relatively easy contract that fate destines not to be played. East doubles 4 to show a heart suit, and West takes the moronic sacrifice in 5 . Clearly this should have been doubled, but then I would have no puzzle. Assume North pushes onward to 5 , no doubt relieved that he won’t have to play it.

South deals	A 9 7 5 3 2		West	North	East	South
N-S vul	2					1 NT
	6 5 4 3		Pass	4	Dbl	4
	A 10		5	5	Pass	Pass
10 8 6 4		Q	Pass
5 4 3		K J 9 8 7 6
Q J 9 8 7		K
2		Q J 9 8 7
	K J
	A Q 10
Lead: 3	A 10 2
5 South	K 6 5 4 3

The lead is friendly enough, as you capture the K with your ace, but you still have the unenviable task to win 11 tricks. Can you find the way with all hands in view?

Warning: It’s tricky!

Puzzle 7F21 Main

Top The Declarer Reversal

Solution

With 10 routine tricks, the most obvious hope for 11 is to develop an endplay against East based on the tenace in hearts. If you pursued this angle, you would be frustrated by communication problems and the complications of West’s trump holding. Alas, it can’t be done.

The solution involves a spectacular jettison play followed by a dummy reversal. No, wait! This should be called a declarer reversal, because the contract is already being played from the short side due to the transfer.

5 South	A 9 7 5 3 2		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	2		1. W	3	2	K	A
	6 5 4 3		2. S	Q	4	A!	6
	A 10		3. S	10	5	2	7
10 8 6 4		Q	4. N	10	J	K	2
5 4 3		K J 9 8 7 6	5. S	3	7	3	7
Q J 9 8 7		K	6. N	5	Q	K	4
2		Q J 9 8 7	7. S	4	8	7	8
	K J			continued below…
	A Q 10
	A 10 2
	K 6 5 4 3

The key play is to discard the A on the Q. Then ruff a heart and return to your hand with the K. (Optionally, you could ruff the heart at trick two, return to the K, and then jettison the A.) Next ruff a club, return to hand with a trump, and ruff another club. West cannot gain by ruffing in front of dummy, so assume he discards each time.

This leaves the following ending:

win 4	A 9		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	—		8. N	3	K	2!	9
	6 5 4 3		9. E	Q	5	J	9
	—		10. N	4	8	A	Q
10 8 6		—	11. S	6	6	A	9
—		J 9 8		Declarer succeeds
Q J 9		K
—		Q 9
	J
	—
	A 10 2
North leads	6 5

Next duck a diamond to East’s blank king, and the forced club or heart return lets you make all of your trumps separately. In all, declarer wins two hearts, one diamond, one club, two high trumps in hand and five ruffs in dummy. The defense is helpless to prevent it.

Puzzle 7F21 Main

Top The Declarer Reversal

© 1994 Richard Pavlicek