DSBA Web Page Declarer Problem of the Month
February, 1999
This month's hand comes from the National Finals of the Grand National Teams, Flight B, in Albuquerque, NM in 1997. You are playing in the Round of 16 of a KO tournament, and the match is very close, when the following deal arises.
Dealer: South
Vulnerable: E-W
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NORTH  A T 3 2 9 8 7 3 J T J 8 3 |
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SOUTH K 7---A K 9 3A K Q T 7 5 2 |
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AUCTION |
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SOUTH |
WEST |
NORTH |
EAST |
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2 |
3 |
Pass(1) |
Pass |
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4 |
Pass |
5 |
Pass |
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5 |
Pass |
5 |
Pass |
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7 |
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
(1) Shows some values
(2) Cue bid
West leads the A; East plays the 4. Plan the play.
Solution
You have 11 top tricks, and there are several possibilities for the other two:
1) The diamond finesse. If you chose this line, move to the back of the class.
2) Ruffing two diamonds in the dummy. This line will fail when West ruffs the A or K, or when East overruffs the dummy. We believe that, given the bidding, the danger of West ruffing is not insignificant, so this line should be abandoned in favor of the following.
3) As long as West did not start with four or more diamonds to the queen, you should be able to ruff one diamond in the dummy, and come to a 13th trick on a double squeeze. Ruff the opening lead, and cash a top trump. When both opponents follow, cross to the J, and ruff a heart (critical). Cash the AK, and ruff a diamond (if the Q falls at any time, you can claim). Ruff another heart, and then run your trumps to come to this ending:
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NORTH |
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WEST |
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EAST |
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SOUTH |
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When you cash your last trump, West must keep the K, so he discards a spade. You discard the 9 from dummy, and now East must discard a spade (or you will score the 9). You score the last three spade tricks and make your slam.
The full deal:
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NORTH |
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WEST |
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EAST |
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SOUTH |
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Of course, not surprisingly, East was guarding the diamond suit, and the finesse would have worked. But this is an inferior play, because whenever East has the Q, the recommended line will succeed (assuming West has at least 6 hearts, which seems certain from the bidding). However, the recommended line will ALSO succeed when West has the Q(x)(x), and in these cases, the diamond finesse would have failed.
Also, note that ruffing a total of three hearts was critical, in order to remove all of East's hearts. Suppose you ruff only one or two hearts. Then the following ending is reached:
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NORTH |
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WEST |
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EAST |
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SOUTH |
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When you cash the last trump, West can pitch a heart (because his partner still has the J), and the squeeze fails.
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