Thanks to my new-found wealth in space travel, PavCo Diamonds is back in production!
Our catalog features several new creations, like the breakfast cereal bowl pictured at the top, and a diamond studded hat rack with an ivory base. Low overhead, courtesy of PavCo Cayman Bank, means unbeatable prices!
Reopening our Jwaneng mine should put De Beers out of business in a month (five weeks tops) as their ex-customers flock to our offshore warehouse. And speaking of De Beers and diamonds, bridge came to mind with de beers from the diamond seven.
How many times have you found a suit stacked against you, either as trumps or a crucial suit at notrump? Witness the egregious diamond stack on the following deal, which not only renders an excellent grand slam impossible but jeopardizes six as well.
After winning the A in dummy, declarer leads a diamond for what appears to be an early claimer. Oops! East’s discard changes all that. Diamonds cannot be established, but declarer can still succeed by elimination technique. Many sequences will suffice, but best is to cash three top diamonds, A-K, A-Q, K and K; then exit with a low diamond, endplaying West. This would also work if West had three spades and two clubs, as the K would force a spade pitch lest diamonds be established.
Given the 2 in North, South’s A-K-Q-J-9-3 (rank sum 62) is the weakest possible holding to win five tricks against a 6-0 break offside. If any card is reduced, say A-K-Q-10-9-3 or A-K-Q-J-8-3, South fails. Of course K-Q-J-10-9-8 would also succeed, but that’s stronger (sum 63). Note that K-Q-J-10-9-7 (sum 62) would fail, even if not led until six cards remain, as West holds up his ace four times.
Now suppose you need fewer than five tricks. Consider this three-part puzzle:
With a 6-6 suit division, what are the weakest holdings to win four, three and two tricks?
Assume the 2 is the lone diamond and you must lead first. Challenge yourself, or make your best guesses:
1. What is the weakest holding to win four tricks?
2. What is the weakest holding to win three tricks?
3. What is the weakest holding to win two tricks?
Quit
Congratulations to Andrew Spooner, who was the first to submit the perfect solution. Andrew is a more recent participant, with a number of high finishes, and the winner of my Unusual Hands puzzle last year.
Ranking is by the least sum of the three South holdings, most beers (use of 7) and date-time of entry, in that order of priority.
The weakest South holding to win four tricks has a rank sum of 54:
After cashing one top diamond (optional) South leads low twice to win J-9 on returns.
Samuel Pahk: I just can’t get the beer card into a 54 sum, no matter how long I work on it.
Too many beers can ruin a bridge game, so I did my part to keep you sober.
Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall;Ninety-nine bottles of beer…
The weakest South holding to win three tricks has a rank sum of 46 — and a beer:
South leads the 5 to the eight then ducks the K return. The next diamond is won as cheaply as possible, then the 6 is returned to endplay West.
If one of those bottles should happen to fall,Catch it and mix me another highball.
The weakest South holding to win two tricks has a rank sum of 40 — and another beer:
South exits with the 8, wins the Q at the first opportunity, then exits with the 6 to win another trick with the 7.
Evidently this contest allowed two beers out of three, but to prove bridge is a fair game, I should point out that the weakest holding to win one trick is 9-8-6-5-4-3. Look, mom! No beer!
Anonymous: I didn’t enter this contest because my computer crashed, or maybe it was the party last night.No, wait… It was my car that crashed, and the friggin’ hospital has no Internet.
David Wu: Bridge is too hard. Just get bashed!
Cheers!
© 2021 PavCo Diamonds, Inc.elegant solutions for the filthy rich
by Richard Pavlicek by Richard Pavlicek