Puzzle 7F40 (Sep 96) by Richard Pavlicek

Loser On a Loser

4 by South

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

West 1 All Pass

North 2

East 4

South 4

This could be a very frustrating puzzle if you get off on the wrong track. You are destined to fail if you try to establish the club suit. You won’t actually lose anything if West gets a club ruff or two (the tricks come back since you have fewer trumps to draw), but you won’t gain anything either. Accurate defense will hold you to nine tricks.

Instead you must focus on the diamond suit to bring about an endplay against West. This is more difficult than it might appear because the timing is so delicate. Not only must you eliminate West’s exit cards, but you must also retain enough trump control to be able to set up your long diamond if West discards two diamonds. Not an easy task. Got any ideas?

Solution

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

Note that West was obliged to keep four diamonds. Ruff your last heart in dummy and lead a diamond to the 10, queen. Ruff the next heart in hand and lead the jack of diamonds to West’s king, smothering the nine. West is forced to lead from the 5-3 into your A-4 to give you the contract.

Variation: If West leads a trump at trick two, the play is essentially the same except you ruff a heart yourself between cashing the top clubs.

What if East tries to upset the apple cart by overtaking with the  A at trick one to return a diamond? This actually simplifies your task because the  J now comes into play. Finesse the diamond, win the trump return and draw trumps. Finesse the diamond again, and West has no safe exit. A similar endplay develops if East opts for a club ruff at trick two.