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Puzzles 7HA0 by Richard Pavlicek
and West leads the 
Q. Amazingly, each can be made, losing only one trump trick. Can you perform the magic?
1. 
6 South
 | Q 9 2 A K 5 4 A K 3 2 K 2 | |
| A J 8 7 8 7 6 Q J 10 9 10 9 |  | — Q J 10 9 8 7 6 Q J 8 7 6 5 |
| K 10 6 5 4 3 3 2 5 4 A 4 3 |
West appears to have two natural trump tricks, but a little magic will cure that. Win the A-K and ruff a diamond; win the A-K and ruff a heart; win the A-K and ruff the last diamond. This reduces West to all trumps with South on lead.
Lead a club; West ruffs with the 7 and North overruffs with the nine. Finally, lead the last heart and ruff with the K. If West overruffs with the ace, he will be endplayed in trumps; if he underruffs, he is left with A-J in front of the queen.
2. 6 South
| K 10 2 3 2 A K 3 2 A K 3 2 | |
| — 9 8 7 Q J 10 9 8 Q J 10 9 8 | | Q J 8 6 4 3 Q J 10 7 6 7 6 |
| A 9 7 5 A K 6 5 4 5 4 5 4 |
Seeing East’s trumps might make you ill, but they can be neutralized. Cash all your side winners and ruff a heart with the 2. East now has all trumps with North on lead.
Lead a minor suit and overruff as cheaply as possible. Say, East ruffs with the jack and you win the ace. Ruff a heart with the K forcing East to underruff. Lead a minor suit to overruff again (if East ruffs with the queen, discard your last heart). Finally, ruff your last heart with the 10 and watch East squirm.
3. 6 South
| K 2 A K 2 A K 3 2 8 7 6 5 | |
| J 8 7 6 J 10 9 Q J 10 J 10 9 | | A 8 7 6 5 4 3 9 8 7 4 3 2 |
| Q 10 9 5 4 3 Q 6 5 4 A K Q |
It looks impossible to stop West from making his J, but that’s an illusion. Harry Houdini would do it this way: Win the A and cash the A-K (ignore the Q) to ditch a diamond; ruff a heart; win the K; ruff a diamond and cash three clubs. This leaves West with all trumps.
Duck a spade to East’s blank ace. On the forced heart return play the 9 and West’s jack is smothered. If he overruffs, you will overruff with the king. If he underruffs, you will discard from dummy.
© 2013 Richard Pavlicek