Puzzles 7H23 Main
Delusions of Grandeur
by Richard PavlicekPuzzles 7H23 Main |
| by Richard Pavlicek |
I’m in a generous mood and will offer you three grand as a gift! Slams, that is. Can you win 13 tricks in each contract? If so, you’re a grand player. You may look at all four hands.
| South deals |  — | West | North | East | South | |
| None vul |  A 3 2 | 1
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 Q J 10 9 8 7 | Pass | 2 | Pass | 3 
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| Q J 10 9 | Pass | 4 | Pass | 4 1
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| K Q J 10 |  | 9 8 2 | Pass | 6 | Pass | 7
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| Q J 10 9 8 | K 7 6 5 4 | All Pass | ||||
| — | 6 5 4 3 2
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| 5 4 3 2 | — | 1. heart control | ||||
| A 7 6 5 4 3
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| —
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| Lead: K | A K
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| 7 South | A K 8 7 6 | |||||
It looks like 13 easy tricks, but the diamond suit is blocked. If you unblock the A-K early, West will get a ruff. If you draw his trumps, dummy will have no entry.
| Puzzles 7H23 Main |  | Top Delusions of Grandeur |
Are you ready for your second grand? Then try to make this one:
| North deals | A 3 2 | West | North | East | South | |
| N-S vul | A 3 2 | 1 NT | Pass | 4 1
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| 4 3 2 | Pass | 4 NT2 | Pass | 5
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| A K 7 6 | Pass | 5 3 | Pass | 7
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| K 6 5 4 |  | J 10 9 8 | Pass | Pass | Pass | |
| K 6 5 4 | J 10 9 8
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| 7 6 5 | — | 1. Gerber | ||||
| 9 8 | Q J 10 5 4 | 2. 3 aces | ||||
| Q 7 | 3. 1 king | |||||
| Q 7
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| Lead: 9 | A K Q J 10 9 8
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| 7 South | 3 2 | |||||
You have 11 top tricks, and all you need for the rest is a “double transfer repeating triple squeeze” — surely, a piece of cake (ha).
| Puzzles 7H23 Main | | Top Delusions of Grandeur |
Few people made it this far! Here’s your third and final grand:
| East deals | A 6 5 | West | North | East | South | |
| E-W vul | A Q 6 | Pass | 4
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| A Q J 10 | Pass | 4 NT1 | Pass | 5 2
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| A K Q | Pass | 5 NT | Pass | 6 3
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| 2 |  | 4 3 | Pass | 7 4 | All Pass | |
| J 10 9 8 7 | K 5 4 3
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| 9 8 7 | K 6 5 4 | 1. Roman key-card Blackwood | ||||
| J 10 9 8 | 7 6 5 | 2. 1 key card | ||||
| K Q J 10 9 8 7 | 3. no side king | |||||
| 2 | 4. get lucky! | |||||
| Lead: J | 3 2
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| 7 South | 4 3 2 | |||||
You have 12 top tricks. The contract looks doomed with the K and K offside, but a “double ruffout squeeze” saves the day.
| Puzzles 7H23 Main | Solutions | Top Delusions of Grandeur |
Win the A and lead all but one spade, discarding three diamonds from dummy; then cash the clubs. Dummy now holds Q-6 and the A; you have a spade and 3-2. If East blanks his K, you can ruff it out; if West blanks his 10, you can lead the Q through East. Hence, each opponent must keep two hearts; then cash the A and your 3 is a winner!
Discard a diamond from dummy at trick one and win the A. Lead a low club to dummy; ruff a heart with the K; lead a low club to dummy; ruff a heart with the A; then lead your last club. As you draw West’s trumps you can pitch one diamond, then cash the A to throw your last diamond to leave dummy high.
Win the K and lead a diamond to reach your hand. Lead the Q, king, ace (transfer no. 1); return to your hand with a diamond and lead the Q, king, ace (transfer no. 2). Now run the diamonds. When you lead your last diamond, East will be triple squeezed. If he discards, say, his spade stopper, you will lead the now established 7 to squeeze him again. What fun!
| Puzzles 7H23 Main | | Top Delusions of Grandeur |
© 1993 Richard Pavlicek