Quiz 7H17 (Jan 93) by Richard Pavlicek

100-Percent Guarantee

As South, how do you play each of the following hands to guarantee making your contract. Forget about overtricks; assume your “life is on the line” to make your bid.

1. 3 NT by South

K Q 4 3
K 7 2
A 9 6 2
K 4
Lead: 3 [W - E]
5 2
A Q 4
K J 4 3
A J 7 2

Answer

You have seven top tricks and can guarantee one extra trick in diamonds with proper technique and another later in spades.

The key play is to cash the K then lead the 3 toward dummy. If West follows low both times, finesse the nine (if this loses to the 10, the Q must fall later). If West shows out on the second diamond lead, win the ace then lead toward your jack. This is called a “safety play” as it will succeed against any distribution, though it sometimes may cost an overtrick.

by South

J 8 2
Q J 10 7 6
K Q 4
A Q
Lead: 10 [W - E]
Q 7 4
A K 8 5 2
A 7 2
4 3

Answer

You have nine top tricks and need one more in clubs or spades. Rather than rely on a finesse, there is a surefire endplay.

Draw trumps and cash all of the remaining diamond winners. Next win the A (key play) and exit with a club. Whoever wins must break the spade suit (else give you a ruff and a discard) and you are sure to win a 10th trick.

Note that if you finessed the Q and it lost, East would return a club; then you would have to lead spades yourself and probably fail.

6 NT by South

A K 7
3 2
J 10 9 8 4 3
4 3
Lead: J [W - E]
Q 3
A K 4
A Q
A K J 10 9 5

Answer

You have eight top tricks. If you win the

Q and lead the

A and

Q, whoever has the king may hold up; then you cannot set up the suit. If you then go after clubs, you may lose to the

Q and

The key play is to lead the Q without cashing the ace. If it wins you have nine tricks and you can switch to clubs for three more.

What if someone takes the K and returns a spade? No problem! Cash the third spade and discard the A — a jettison play — then run the diamonds.

Return to Main

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

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