Puzzle 7F55 Main

Can You Solve a Mystery?

by Richard Pavlicek

When I was in the United States Army stationed in West Germany (Panzer Kaserne, near Stuttgart) I recall reading a newspaper bridge column that presented an unusual deal. The time period was 1965-66, which was my infancy as a bridge player. I cannot remember the actual deal, but I do remember the gist of the article.

The column showed a deal in which declarer could make a grand slam in any suit but could not even make 5 NT. Not being an expert at the time, and not studying the deal in depth, I am not 100-percent sure the contention was correct. But I vividly remember the contention being made.

I have toyed with this problem off and on for many years without success, though it is easy to come close. Consider this deal:

1. 5 NT South K Q J 10 9 8 7
3 2
3 2
10 9 Makes
North
South
West
East
Deal NT
11
11
1
2
25
13
13
0
0
26
13
13
0
0
26
13
13
0
0
26
13
13
0
0
26
5 4 3 2
9 8 7
9 8 7
7 6 5 Table 6
J 6 5 4
J 6 5 4
J 4 3 2
A
A K Q 10
A K Q 10
A K Q 8

A grand slam can be made in any suit. In spades it is obvious.

In hearts or diamonds, assume a spade lead (best). Declarer ruffs the third round of a red suit in dummy, runs the 10 (if East covers declarer can return to the 9) then finesses in trumps to make the South hand high.

In clubs the play is slightly different but not really a challenge. Win the spade lead, cash all the red-suit winners, ruff a red suit in dummy and lead a good spade. If East ruffs, overruff and ruff your other loser; if East discards, you discard as well and easily win the rest.

Now consider the play in notrump. A spade lead is clearly best. South cashes the top cards in one suit and exits with the last card to East. Of course East is now endplayed, and South easily wins 11 tricks. (Note that East must exit in a red suit to hold declarer to 11 tricks.)

Here is a layout that gets even closer:

2. 5 NT South Q J 10 9 8 7
3 2
3 2
J 10 9 Makes
North
South
West
East
Deal NT
11
11
1
2
25
13
13
0
0
26
13
13
0
0
26
13
13
0
0
26
13
13
0
0
26
5 4 3
9 8 7
9 8 7 6
4 3 2 Table K 2
J 6 5 4
Q 5 4
8 7 6 5
A 6
A K Q 10
A K J 10
A K Q

Once again, a grand slam can be made in any suit (left to the reader). But can South win 11 tricks in notrump?

It looks like successive club leads will defeat 5 NT, but declarer can prevail by setting up diamonds. When South cashes the last diamond, East is squeezed out of his long club, then he can be endplayed in spades or hearts for an 11th trick. So close! Yet so far.

I have experimented with many other constructions, and they all come up short, or should I say long. Declarer could always maneuver to win 11 tricks in notrump, else one of the grand slams would fail. It’s a frustrating mystery. Maybe you can solve it — or alternatively, prove it to be impossible:

Create a deal on which, against best defense, South can make seven in any suit but cannot make 5 NT.

At least you can be sure it will never make it onto Robert Stack’s TV show.

Addenda: [4-2-00] Further attempts and correspondence with other persons suggest there is no solution. [7-12-04] I am 99-percent convinced the construction is impossible, but proving it is another story. It seems that any proof would have to be by exhaustion, and I’m exhausted already. Sigh.

Puzzle 7F55 Main Top Can You Solve a Mystery?

1. 5 NT South	K Q J 10 9 8 7 3 2 3 2 10 9		Makes North South West East Deal	NT 11 11 1 2 25	13 13 0 0 26	13 13 0 0 26	13 13 0 0 26	13 13 0 0 26
5 4 3 2 9 8 7 9 8 7 7 6 5		6 J 6 5 4 J 6 5 4 J 4 3 2
	A A K Q 10 A K Q 10 A K Q 8

2. 5 NT South	Q J 10 9 8 7 3 2 3 2 J 10 9		Makes North South West East Deal	NT 11 11 1 2 25	13 13 0 0 26	13 13 0 0 26	13 13 0 0 26	13 13 0 0 26
5 4 3 9 8 7 9 8 7 6 4 3 2		K 2 J 6 5 4 Q 5 4 8 7 6 5
	A 6 A K Q 10 A K J 10 A K Q