Puzzle 7F34 (May 96) by Richard Pavlicek

Trump Handling

4 by South

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

West Pass All Pass

North 2

East Pass

South 1 4

Assume West gets off to the best opening lead, the  Q, and the defense is flawless thereafter. Can you make 4 ?

Solution

Did you notice the spade layout? If you could ruff one spade, North’s queen will set up — and there may be a possibility to endplay East to force a spade lead into North’s Q-9. Great ideas — but they all come up empty with perfect defense.

Unless you butcher the trump suit! An absolute beginner could play the heart suit for one loser, but to make the contract you must give up three heart tricks!

First you must let the  Q win, unblocking your  7. East cannot benefit by overtaking, so whatever West shifts to, you will win the  A,  A and  A. Next lead a middle heart which you again must duck to East’s king. Assume East returns a diamond to your king, leaving the ending in the diagram:

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

Lead the  9 to the ace, then ruff a spade high. Now lose your third trump trick to East who has nothing but spades left. But wait! North’s two spade winners are not enough to make the contract (you already threw away two tricks, remember). The icing on the cake is that West is squeezed in the minor suits.

Remind me to put this deal in my next lesson on “Handling the Trump Suit.”