Solution: DSBA Novice/Intermediate Declarer Problem of the Month

Novice/Intermediate Declarer Problem of the Month

July, 1999

This problem is inspired by a deal that arose during a bracketed knockout at last month's Regional in Cherry Hill, NJ.

IMPs
Dealer: South
Vulnerable: Both

	NORTH Q J T 6 K 7 A 8 5 3 8 4 3


	SOUTH A K 8 5 3 A 6 4 K 4 A Q 9

AUCTION
SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
2N	Pass	3	Pass
3	Pass	4N	Pass
5	Pass	5	Pass
5	Pass	6	Pass
Pass	Pass

West leads the

Q. You win in hand, cash the

A and lead a spade to the queen, west discarding a small club.

Plan the play.

Solution Part 2

As in Part 1, there are eleven easy winners: 5 spades, 2 hearts, 2 diamonds, 1 club, and 1 heart ruff in dummy. However, when trumps divide 3-1, the "easy" endplay demonstrated in Part 1 is no longer available. Notice if you proceed to draw trumps and strip the hand, you will have no trumps remaining in dummy, so when you now lead a club to the nine, west will win and be able to exit safely with any red card--since the ruff and sluff is no longer available. The answer is to refrain drawing trumps until AFTER the endplay has been executed. This is sometimes called a "partial strip." After winning the K in hand and cashing two trumps, you should plan to strip the hand, leaving as before...

	NORTH T -- -- 8 4 3


	SOUTH K -- -- A Q 9

And, as before, lead a small club toward the AQ9. Ruff the expected red-card return in dummy sluffing a club, and return to hand via the A to pull the outstanding trump.

The real question is what has a higher chance of success, attempting the partial strip or simply taking the club finesse? As it turns out, as long as east is at least 3-2 in the reds, the partial strip is guaranteed. This is superior to the 50% club finesse. Let's see why this is so.

Clearly, the only danger involved in the partial strip is that east may be able to ruff something before the last trump is drawn. The obvious situation occurs when east started with a singleton heart or diamond and is able to ruff in before the strip is completed. However, there is one (and only one) other danger: if east is 2-2 in the reds, he will be able to arrange for a heart ruff by discarding that suit as you are ruffing diamonds. If east happens to be 3-2 in the reds, you are okay, but you must be CAREFUL! Let's say east starts with three hearts and two diamonds as below:

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

Now, if you win the

Q lead in hand, cash the

AQ, followed by the

A and a diamond ruff east will pitch a heart. When you then lead a heart to the board to ruff the last diamond, east will pitch another heart on the last diamond. When you now try to cash the

A, so you can complete the strip by ruffing your last heart, east will ruff! You can avoid this tradgedy if you play carefully. The key is to cash the

A BEFORE embarking on ruffing diamonds. Follow the play:

AQ,

A (key play),

A, and diamond ruff (east pitching a heart) leads to this position:

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

You can now safely lead a heart to the king, ruff your last diamond, followed by ruffing the last heart with a high trump. Now just lead a small club to the nine to complete the endplay. You should verify that cashing the

A early also succeeds when east began with two hearts and three diamonds.

You might be wondering what happens if east decides to pitch clubs in an effort to gain a ruff in that suit?. No problem. If he has the

K, it will show up in the end position when you are leading a small club toward the nine; so just win and draw trumps. Remember, if west has the

K, NEITHER line works in this instance.

Return to Problem

Solution to Part 2

Solution to Part 3

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