Puzzles 7F77 Main
All But One in Spades
by Richard PavlicekPuzzles 7F77 Main |
| by Richard Pavlicek |
With spades trump, your goal in each diagram is to win all the tricks but one. Warning: Even with the advantage of seeing all four hands, the winning plays are super tricky. Forget everything you learned about card play!
 win 5/6 | —
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 A
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 A
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 A J 9 8
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| 8 |  | 10
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| 3 | —
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| 7 6 5 4 | Q 10
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| — | K Q 10
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| Q
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| 2
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| K J 9 8
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| South leads | — | |
You could win six tricks if you had an entry back to your hand after unblocking the A, but there is no communication, even to win the required five tricks. Could the aces be a mirage?
| win 6/7 | K 9 7
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| 3
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| 6 5
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| A
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| Q 10 6 5 | | 8 3 2
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| 2 | K 10 9
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| A K | —
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| — | K
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| A J 4
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| A Q J
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| —
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| South leads | Q | |
Despite East-West having more trumps than you do, you have some key trump spots, and the heart finesse is there if you need it.
| win 7/8 | 3
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| 3
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| A K 6
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| A 4 3
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| 2 | | 5
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| K Q 10 | —
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| — | Q 5 4 3 2
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| Q 9 8 7 | J 10
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| A 4
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| A J 9 8 7
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| —
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| South leads | K | |
You have seven top tricks (two trumps, one heart, two diamonds, two clubs) but can’t score them because North’s only entry is the A, and overtaking the K costs you a trick. Or does it?
| Puzzles 7F77 Main | Solutions | Top All But One in Spades |
North starts with three aces, but as the title suggests, to succeed you must win none of them. Cash the Q to draw the outstanding trumps and discard the heart ace from North. Next lead the 2 to West’s three and discard the diamond ace from North. West has only diamonds left and must give you the last four tricks.
It is tempting to cross to dummy with a trump (forcing West’s 10) to take the heart finesse, but this is child’s play and leads to a dead end. The key is to lead hearts straight out (ace and another). West does best to ruff with the 10, and now comes the second key play. Do not overruff but pitch the club ace from North. No matter what West returns, you can win the rest by leading whichever suit East must follow to through West.
The winning play appears to be a testament to lunacy: Overtake the K with the ace, then ruff a club with the spade ace. How’s that for wasting tricks? The stage is now set for a neat endplay and squeeze. Exit with your low trump, which East must win, and the forced diamond return gives North three diamond tricks, the last of which squeezes West in hearts and clubs. The crowd goes wild!
| Puzzles 7F77 Main | | Top All But One in Spades |
© 1994 Richard Pavlicek