Puzzle 7F26 (May 95) by Richard Pavlicek

A King’s Ransom

3 NT by South

	A 5 4 K J Q 10 8 7 6 J 8 4
K 9 7 6 3 7 6 5 4 K J 10 2		10 2 10 9 8 A 9 2 K 9 7 6 3
	Q J 8 A Q 3 2 5 4 3 A Q 5

West Pass

North 3 NT

East All Pass

South 1 NT

Beware! Declarer is a shrewd dude and a master of the holdup play. For example, if West leads a spade to East’s 10, South will duck to break the defenders’ communication.

Your defense?

Solution

At trick two West must lead a low spade to East’s 10 (or East must lead the  10 if on lead) and South again must duck all around to shut out the spade suit.

East then leads a club to South’s queen. Declarer now seems to be in good shape since the defenders lack the communication to establish clubs or spades. But the defenders have a bombshell in store.

	A 5 K J Q 10 8 7 6 J
K 9 7 6 7 6 5 4 K J —		2 10 9 8 A 9 2 K 9 7
	Q J A Q 3 2 5 4 3 A

In the diagrammed position South leads a diamond; jack, queen, ace. East returns a club and — sound the trumpets — West jettisons the king of diamonds! This presents declarer with a diamond winner, but since the hearts are blocked, there is no way to score nine tricks. Note that East still holds a diamond stopper with the guarded nine.

It may appear that declarer can succeed (from the diagram) by first unblocking hearts. No, South then cannot make the first diamond lead from his hand. Indeed, there is no way to make 3 NT with the given defense.