Experienced players are aware of the advantage of playing a major-suit fit in notrump when ruffing potential is doubtful, or if an enemy ruff is likely. Usually this is with an eight-card fit; occasionally nine, rarely longer. Would you believe twelve?
I was South on this deal from the Open Pairs at the 2003 Southeastern Regional:
After West’s 1 opening it was easy to foresee a heart ruff against 4 , so I took the reasonable gamble that we had clubs stopped and bid the game in notrump. Another incentive was the chance of a top score at matchpoints.
West found the best lead of a diamond (won in hand) ostensibly holding me to nine tricks, but six rounds of spades were too much to bear. West chose to keep A-K J-9 K-9, so I gave up a heart, won the diamond return, and conceded a heart for 10 tricks. (East had discarded three diamonds on the spades, so there was no danger of losing more than one diamond trick.) Was it a top? No! Someone else was in the same contract with a low heart lead, giving declarer 10 top tricks, so West was squeezed and endplayed for 11.
As expected, playing in spades costs an early heart ruff, then declarer cannot avoid a club loser. Not your everyday scenario! Declarer can make 4 NT but not 4 despite a 12-card fit. Can you find the ultimate roadblock?
Construct a deal where South can make 7 NT but not 7 with a 12-card spade fit.
Neither opponent can have a singleton or void, except in spades of course. As a tiebreaker, try to keep the North-South hands as weak as possible (judged by the sum of all card ranks).
1. Before reading further, can you pick the winning South hand?
Quit
“…dressed in holiday style.” I decide on Silver Bells as my Christmas theme and, lo and behold, Bell is the winner! And if that’s not spooky enough, second place goes to ‘Saint’ Nicholas. A reminder of some of the bizarre coincidences in the early days, like the month I wiped out Perry Como (see A Pause To Reflect).
Congratulations to Duncan Bell, England, who was the first of seven to submit the optimal solution. In fact England swept the podium! This is the first time in all my puzzle contests that the same location took the top three spots, although England came close with a “UK sweep” of Spot Card Jungle in 2011. Looking back at my old bidding polls and play contests, the only other occurrence was a California sweep of Island of the Dinosaurs in 2002.
Ranking tiebreakers for the December 2016 contest were (1) weakest North-South hands, (2) weakest South hand, and (3) date-time of submission, in that order of priority. (Weakness is judged by the sum of all card ranks.)
This first construction from Jamie Pearson, Ontario, produced far and away the weakest South hand, though it was 5 pips overweight in the priority tiebreaker (North-South hands combined).
Jamie Pearson: After any lead, 13 tricks are easy in notrump: Unblock clubs, spade to the ace, and pitch the 4 on a good club. In spades, East will get a ruff if declarer unblocks clubs early; or if the K is drawn, declarer will be locked in dummy and eventually lose a diamond.
Jamie also earns my first style points of the year. His alternating ranks in the immaterial E-W suits is pleasing (no one else did this); and he even provides a 14th trick in notrump (as did Leif-Erik in the next solution). Any declarer with flair would use the fifth club to pitch a red ace from dummy before claiming.
Hendrik Nigul: Thirteen tricks in notrump, as West cannot lead the spade; only 12 tricks in spades, because the A (only entry) must be cashed before clubs are established.
The next entry, from Zimbabwe, arrived later than most — no doubt requiring elephant transport to the African coast, or something like that as I vaguely recall Ramar of the Jungle. It seems the long elephant ride shifted all the E-W high cards into West, though I suppose this could also happen on a jumbo jet, as we’re all sick of being warned about items shifting in the overhead bins. But I digress; never mind.
Leif-Erik Stabell was the only one to submit the second-best construction, reducing the N-S card rank sum to 186 and South to 66. Unlike the previous deal, West must lead a specific suit to defeat 7 .
The grand slam in notrump is easy, as South has two entries: one to finesse hearts, and the other to return and score the fourth heart. In spades, however, the killing diamond lead removes South’s plain-suit entry; hearts can be finessed easily enough, but the suit can’t be unblocked without giving West a ruff or removing South’s only remaining entry.
For the ultimate construction, all we need to do is sit backwards on the elephant, or use an overhead bin across the aisle. Duncan Bell, England, seems to have accomplished this, as all the opposing high cards are shifted to East, although only the black-suit honors are relevant. The crazed auction was provided by:
Tom Foster: The Walrus opened 4 , and Hideous Hog overcalled 4 NT with his monstrous two-suiter. Awoken from his daydream, the Rabbit bid 5 to show one key card. Papa bid 5 to show support for any two-suiter, the Walrus bid 6 [anyone’s guess], the Hog doubled, and the Rabbit redoubled. The Walrus, imagining discards on the Rabbit’s club suit, jumped to 7 , and the Hog doubled again. The Rabbit, who had recently read about Lightner doubles, corrected to 7 NT to avert a possible ruff; and the Hog repeated his sentiment, more confident now with the Rabbit declarer. [Acknowledgments to Victor Mollo (1909-87)]
Nicholas Greer: In 7 NT declarer takes eight spades, three hearts and two minor aces. In 7 a heart lead cuts communication, allowing East to ruff the third heart if it is cashed immediately; or if declarer draws the missing trump, he is stuck in North with a minor-suit loser.
Tom Slater: Thirteen lucky tricks in notrump, but a heart lead kills communication in spades.
Charles Blair: If North has A-Q-J-10-9-8-7 2 A A-7-6-5, and South 6-5-4-3-2 A-Q-10-9 2 4-3-2, even six spades goes down with 7 NT making.
Yes! Besides Charles, Lin Murong also submitted a deal with a 2-trick difference. Despite the neat construction, both realized that the extra weight of the 9 would lose the tiebreakers, so they pushed for the optimal solution. So which is more important: Tying for the top spot? Or earning style points? Tough choice, as either and a few bucks could get you a cup of coffee.
Charles Blair: Can a 13-card fit be inferior to another suit?
Yes. For example, A-Q-J-10-x-x-x — K-x-x-x x-x opposite K-x-x-x-x-x x A-Q-J-10 A-x makes 7 (barring a Hawaiian split) while 7 is hopeless. Change the first hand to K-x x-x-x-x, and even a 4-2 fit could beat the 7-6.
Anonymous: Is it possible for notrump to produce more tricks than a 13-card fit?
No. This I quickly realized when contemplating “The Thirteen of Spades” title.
The Donald: Thirteen Trumps? Not yet, but I’m working on it! Nubile candidates can apply here.
© 2017 Richard Pavlicek
by Richard Pavlicek by Richard Pavlicek