Solution: DSBA Declarer Problem of the Month

DSBA Web Page Declarer Problem of the Month

August, 1999

This month's hand is from a bridge calendar from a while back.

Dealer: North
Vulnerable: N-S

	NORTH Q 5 2 K Q 6 4 Q T 9 7 8 3


	SOUTH K 8 4 J 3 A K J 5 Q J T 4

AUCTION
SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
1NT	2	3 (1)	Pass
3NT	Dbl	All pass
(1) Stayman

West leads the K, East discarding. West continues with the A and another club.Plan the play.

Solution

You have six tricks in the bag, so you will need three major suit tricks to make your game. The problem is this: for the bidding, West almost certainly has both major suit aces. If you let West in before those three tricks are established, he will clear out your last club stopper and eventually get in with his other ace to run his clubs.

If you stop to think about this for a minute, you will realize that if West has both aces, you can make the hand regardless of the distribution of the cards. You must first lead the 3 (NOT the J) toward the dummy. If West wins, you will be able to untangle three heart tricks by cashing the Jack and later crossing to dummy in diamonds to cash the other hearts. Therefore, West must duck. You win the K, and your trick total is up to seven.

Do you recognize this position? You are in the same boat you were just in, only with one more trick in hand. Cross back to hand with a diamond, and lead a low SPADE now. West is in the same pickle. If he wins, you will be able to score two spade tricks. So he must duck again. You win the Q, and now your trick total is up to eight. NOW you can safely revert to hearts, playing a small heart to your J. Your ninth trick will be the Q in the dummy.

The full deal:

	NORTH Q 5 2 K Q 6 4 Q T 9 7 8 3
WEST A T 3 A 5 6 A K 9 7 6 5 2			EAST J 9 7 6 T 9 8 7 2 8 4 3 2 ---
		SOUTH K 8 4 J 3 A K J 5 Q J T 4

The bottom line: you just don't see two Morton's Fork coups on the same hand very often. Let's hope that after you made 3NT, East didn't chastise his partner for such a skinny double.

Oh yes, and one more thing... if at the table you followed the recommended line, the

K won, the

Q won, but when you played a heart to the

J, **East** hopped up with the

A and played a spade through your

K, you should give up bridge and switch to tiddly-winks... you are too unlucky to be playing bridge.

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