How many times have you reached a contract with tricks to burn? For example, 7 NT with 16 cashers would have three wasted tricks; but do they really have to burn, burn, burn? Not in my ring of fire! Imagine this deal:
Declarer has 24 cashing tricks! In real life the limit is 13, so 11 would burn. But in surreal life all discards are in a green suit, so we can enjoy every one of them. After a spade lead, South’s tricks are cashed first (North pitching green cards) then North is reached with a heart for 12 more. If West instead leads a heart, North’s tricks are cashed first, then South is reached with a spade for 12 more — and a beer!
On this deal N-S have all 40 HCP, but the feat can be done with fewer. For example, each major queen could be swapped with the 10 to achieve the same result with 36 HCP by finessing; and each minor jack could be swapped with the 10, reducing to 34 HCP.
Note that West and East also discard green cards, so they can never be squeezed out of a stopper.
Communication between the N-S hands is essential in a real suit (not green). Otherwise only 13 tricks could be cashed by the winner of the first trick — and for the task at hand you’d be down, down, down as the flames went higher.
Which brings us to the puzzle:
In notrump with best defense, what is the most tricks declarer can cash without losing a trick?
Construct a deal to illustrate. Ties will be broken by the fewest N-S HCP and the ability to win a beer.
Join the fun and participate! You won’t win anything, other than the satisfaction of making my Winner List if you’re clever or lucky. Contest ends February 28, 2026 (midnight GMT). Winners and solutions will be published on March 2, 2026. To enter, provide your name, location and e-mail address, then click Submit. A copy of your entry will be sent to you automatically, so be sure your address is correct. Multiple entries by the same person are allowed, but only the latest one counts.
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Acknowledgments to Johnny Cash (pictured) 1932-2003© 2026 Richard Pavlicek
by Richard Pavlicek by Richard Pavlicek