Puzzle 7F39 Main

Unblock Buster

by Richard Pavlicek

Partner’s 6 bid was right on the money — but no-o-o-o. You had to be a matchpoint pig and correct to 6 NT. One thing’s for sure: You will never hear the end of this if you go down. Either make 6 NT against any defense, or incur partner’s wrath forever.

North deals	—		West	North	East	South
None vul	A 10 9 4			1	Pass	1
	A K 9 5 4		Pass	2	Pass	3
	A J 10 9		Pass	6	Pass	6 NT
4 3 2		Q J 10 9 8 7	Pass	Pass	Pass
K Q 6 5		8 7
Q 10 2		8 7 6
5 4 3		Q 2
	A K 6 5
	J 3 2
Lead: K	J 3
6 NT South	K 8 7 6

West leads the K, which enables 11 easy tricks: two spades, three hearts, two diamonds and four clubs. The lucky diamond lie will provide another — actually three more if you could use them — if you could reach your hand twice to finesse, but that’s the problem. You have only one entry with the K, so somehow you must elicit the opponents’ help.

How can 6 NT be made?

Puzzle 7F39 Main

Top Unblock Buster

Solution

You must win the A, else a club shift would be fatal. Suppose you continue with the 10, hoping to create a heart entry to hand. West will duck. East will also defend shrewdly by unblocking the Q on the first round, lest he be endplayed with that card as a stepping-stone to your hand. Opponents can see all four hands too!

The only winning line is to lead the A at Trick 2, forcing East to commit.

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

If East unblocks the Q, cash the J to reach this position:

NT win 9/10	—		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	10 9 4		4. N	4!	8	3!	5
	A K 9 5 4		5. E	Q	K	2	9
	10 9		6. S	J	Q	K	6
4 3 2		Q J 10 9 8 7	7. N	9	7	K	5
Q 6 5		8	8. S	A	3	10	8
Q 10 2		8 7 6	9. S	8	6	10	9
5		—	10. S	3	2	9	7
	A K 6 5			Declarer succeeds
	J 3
	J 3
North leads	K 8

Next lead the 4 and play the three from hand. Unblock that! If West wins the trick, you will have the J entry to hand. If East wins the 8, he is forced to put you in hand with a spade (else assist with a diamond lead) and you can easily win the rest. The North hand will be high, as the two remaining hearts go away on your top spades.

Variation: If East fails to unblock the Q, next lead the 10 to force West to duck. Then sacrifice a club trick to stuff East on lead.

Trap: If East keeps the Q and you win a second club with your king, you will fail. If you finesse diamonds once and then try the heart-duck endplay, East will return a diamond to lock you in dummy.

I guess this proves that you knew how to bid all along — on your own planet.

Puzzle 7F39 Main

Top Unblock Buster

© 1996 Richard Pavlicek