Puzzles 8G01 Main |
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While studying bridge in the late 60s, I came across the book Double Dummy Bridge by George S. Coffin. This was a compilation of 300 double-dummy problems, some by the author, but most by other composers, who were given due credit. The book captivated my fancy and was a major influence toward a pastime I enjoy to this day, creating bridge puzzles. The book is no longer in print but has been republished with three other Coffin books under the title Bridge Play Four Classics.
The first 88 problems in Double Dummy Bridge, all five-card endings, were an attempt to illustrate all the available endplay techniques. Dubbed the Great 88, these mini-problems were split into five tribes according to the kind of endplay, though the categorization was fuzzy, and Coffin evidently gave up with his title of Tribe 5. Nonetheless, the work is a significant contribution to card-play theory and its classical status is deserved. Some curious facts:
One ending does not work. That is, the goal cannot be achieved against best defense. |
Two endings are illegal, because they could never occur in bridge without a revoke. |
One ending is essentially the same as another, with just a slight change in card ranks. |
Being a puzzler at heart, I wont reveal the culprits; but I have presented the Great 88 here for your examination. Or, perhaps I should say, the Great 84 plus four impostors. These are exactly as in the book, however, I have corrected a few obvious typos in duplicated spot cards. Each ending is named to describe the technique (terminology is Coffins which may be archaic today) and you are told which suit is trumps (or notrump), the number of tricks North-South must win, and the player on lead.
Can you find the shady culprits listed above? Lurking in the shadows are some clues.
Tribe 1 (1-26) | Tribe 2 (27-35) | Tribe 3 (36-49) | Tribe 4 (50-68) | Tribe 5 (69-88) |
Addenda: [March 2001] Thanks to Jonathan Weinstein for discovering the second ending that is illegal; originally, I had noticed only one. [August 2011] Thanks to Sebastien Louveaux (Belgium) for discovering the ending that is the same as another.
1. Avoidance
NT win 3 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
2. The Pitt coup
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
3. Gambit and jettison
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4. Forced finesse
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
5. Strip setup finesse
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6. Double strip finesse
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
7. Crossruff strip
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
8. Jettison entry strip
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
9. Jettison two-entry strip
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
10. Double-entry strip
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
11. Fork strip
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
12. Total fork strip
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13. Progressive fork strip
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
14. Transfer fork strip
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
15. Jettison double fork strip
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16. Repeat-jettison fork strip
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
17. Two-fork double strip
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
18. Double blocked fork strip
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19. Crossruff or finesse strip
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20. Crossruff entry strip
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21. Crossruff fork strip
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
22. Crossruff split-fork strip
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
23. Entry or fork strip
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
24. Jettison-entry fork strip
NT win 3 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
25. Blocked fork strip or entry strip
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
26. Crossruff entry fork strip
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Puzzles 8G01 Main | ![]() | Top The Great 88 Conspiracy |
27. En passant
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
28. Grand coup
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
29. Grand coup fork strip
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30. Overruff grand coup
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31. Repeating grand coup
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
32. Undercut
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33. Uppercut
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34. Smother play
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35. Double smother
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Puzzles 8G01 Main | ![]() | Top The Great 88 Conspiracy |
36. Double squeeze
NT win all | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
37.
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38. Double automatic squeeze
NT win all | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
39. Split squeeze
NT win all | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
40. Overtake squeeze
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
41. Progressive squeeze
NT win all | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
42. Transfer repeat squeeze
NT win all | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
43. Three-two squeeze
NT win all | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
44. Finesse jettison squeeze
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
45. Progressive jettison squeeze
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
46. Progressive jettison squeeze or squeeze
NT win all | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
47. Trump squeeze
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
48. Squeeze or forced finesse
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
49. Finesse squeeze
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Puzzles 8G01 Main | ![]() | Top The Great 88 Conspiracy |
50. One-way finesse or fork strip
NT win 3 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
51. Forced jettison strip squeeze
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52. Crossruff strip triple squeeze
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North leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
53. Forced triple squeeze (with fork strip)
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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54. Squeeze strip or suitout
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55. Triple squeeze forced finesse
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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56. Jettison squeeze finesse
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
57. Squeeze or squeeze strip
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
58. Triple squeeze scoop strip
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
59. Triple squeeze entry strip
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
60. Jettison triple squeeze entry strip
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
61. Fork squeeze entry strip
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
62. Squeeze finesse
NT win all | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
63. Finesse threat 3-2 squeeze
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
64. Hexagon squeeze finesse
NT win all | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
65. One-way squeeze scoop finesse
NT win all | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
66. Automatic squeeze scoop finesse
NT win all | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
67. Squeeze ruffout
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
68. Squeeze overruff
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Puzzles 8G01 Main | ![]() | Top The Great 88 Conspiracy |
69. Repeat-squeeze entry strip
NT win 2 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
70. Forced unblock triple-squeeze scoop
NT win 2 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
71. Squeeze unblock finesse
NT win 3 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
72. Blocked fork strip
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
73. En passant mutate
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West leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
74. Repeated trump discard
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West leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
75. Squeeze scoop ruffout
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76. Coup or squeeze
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77. Triple-squeeze ruffout
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West leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
78. Progressive squeeze jettison scoop
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
79. Double squeeze strip
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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80. One-way squeeze or ditto
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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81. En passant or double squeeze
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82. Squeeze entry strip
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
83. Double-squeeze scoop
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
84. Jettison strip mutate
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
85. Split squeeze entry strip
NT win 3 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
86. Hexagon squeeze finesse
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
87. Endplays in series
NT win 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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88. Contra squeeze
NT win 3 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
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South leads | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Puzzles 8G01 Main | ![]() | Top The Great 88 Conspiracy |
Original endings © 1967 George S. Coffin
© 1998 Richard Pavlicek