Article Collection 7A47 by Richard Pavlicek
Article Collection 7A47 by Richard Pavlicek
The Step-WinkleThis month’s deal occurred last week in a practice match for the Boston Nationals. The unusual ending combined two Reese-named devices, so I have dubbed it the “step-winkle” in his honor.
6 NT by South
E-W Vul |  A K J 8 4 3 Q J 4 A 4 9 2 | |
| 9 7 6 5 2 9 6 5 2 J 10 K 5 | ![[W - E]](t.gif) | — K 10 8 7 8 7 6 3 2 Q 10 7 3 |
| Lead: J | Q 10 A 3 K Q 9 5 A J 8 6 4 |
| West Pass Pass All Pass | North 2 5 NT | East Pass Pass | South 1 NT 2 6 NT |
After a routine Jacoby transfer bid, North’s jump to 5 NT said “pick a slam” and South chose 6 NT since he had only a doubleton spade. Scoring was matchpoints so the extra 10 points could be crucial.
West led the J and declarer won the ace in dummy. This is the correct matchpoint play to retain chances for an overtrick. (At IMPs the diamond should be won in hand, but even this would not ensure 12 tricks.) Next came the Q which held, then a spade to the queen as East pitched a diamond. Ouch! The 5-0 break blocked the run of the suit.
Declarer now cashed his diamonds (the 10 was likely to fall in view of West’s spade length); West pitched two hearts, and declarer threw a spade and a heart from dummy. Enter the step-winkle: Declarer next led the ace of clubs. If West played low, declarer would cash the A and 10 then exit with a club, using West as a stepping-stone to reach dummy. After some thought, West unblocked the K under the ace. Now declarer overtook the 10 to reach dummy, and eventually led a club toward the jack for a 12th trick.
[The contract, as played, could have been defeated if East does not pitch a diamond on the first spade lead. Then, after West unblocks the K, East will have a long diamond to cash. Thanks to Jim Patrick for spotting this.]
The Poison Queen
The first five bids were impeccable. South’s 2 may look weird, but it was the popular “new minor forcing” convention to elicit more information, and North properly indicated his three-card heart fit. South then went berserk. Or, to be kind, let’s say he was arithmetically challenged to expect a 16-point hand (14 HCP + 2 for distribution) to produce a slam.
6 by South
| None Vul | K J 3 A J 2 10 8 2 A 5 4 2 | |
| Q 6 Q 10 8 K Q 9 4 Q 10 8 6 | | 10 9 4 2 9 3 J 7 6 5 3 J 3 |
| Lead: K | A 8 7 5 K 7 6 5 4 A K 9 7 |
| West Pass Pass | North 1 1 NT 2 | East Pass Pass Pass | South 1 2 6 ? |
It was South’s lucky day! With two finesses working, the slam had a chance. After winning the A, South cashed the K and led a heart to the jack — how sweet. Next, declarer deliberately gave up a club, leading low to the nine and 10. West was now on lead, and the fate of the contract was on the line — he could beat the slam by leading any of his queens but one. It’s time for your final answer. Which was the poison queen?
In practice, West tried to cash his Q, but South ruffed and led a trump to the ace. Next came the A and K to reveal the club layout. South now led his last trump (pitching a club from North) and East was squeezed — he had to pitch a spade to keep the J (else dummy’s 10 would be good) — so declarer won the last four tricks in spades, aided by the finesse.
Ouch! You guessed it. West led the only queen to let declarer to make the egregious slam.
Subterfuge contract that was destined to fail with the singleton diamond lead; but destiny is not always a fixed path. Declarer made a valiant attempt to control his fate, and it worked.
4 by South
| A K 9 6 5 K J 8 3 10 8 7 6 | |
| 10 8 7 4 8 5 4 3 2 J 9 5 2 | | Q J 3 2 A Q 9 7 6 4 A K Q |
| Lead: 2 | 2 A Q J 10 9 7 6 K 10 5 4 3 |
| West Pass Pass | North 1 4 | East 1 2 All Pass | South 1 3 |
With East bidding diamonds twice, West’s lead was an obvious singleton. South could see he was doomed to lose the first five tricks, so he tried some subterfuge. Under the A he dropped the king! Now put yourself in East’s position. Wouldn’t you think declarer was out of diamonds? Of course you would — partner’s lead would be normal from 10-5-2 — so East led the Q and continued clubs, South ruffing the third round.
Having pitched a trick to confuse East, declarer was still not home. There was no way to establish the spade suit for lack of entries, so declarer just ran his trumps (ace first). North’s last four cards were A-K-9 10, and South’s were 2 7 10-5. On the last heart the opponents were caught in a double squeeze. West had to keep the J, so he let go his spade stopper; the 10 was thrown from dummy, then East was squeezed in spades and diamonds.
The argument began. West contended that he played the two on the first club lead, yet East ignored it and continued clubs. East rebutted that he thought the 2 was count, showing three clubs, so he was just cashing out to set the contract. Both points have merit, and there doesn’t seem to be any clear-cut solution. Maybe South just earned this one.
The Florida Squeeze
The same 6 NT contract was reached at both tables. (A slam in clubs would be far better but is difficult to reach.) Both Wests led the K, and both Souths faced the improbable task of winning 12 tricks.
6 NT by South
| None Vul | 8 6 3 A K 9 5 4 3 K Q 9 3 | |
| K Q J 7 Q J 8 7 5 4 3 4 2 | | 9 4 10 6 10 8 7 6 2 8 7 6 5 |
| Lead: K | A 10 5 2 2 A Q J 9 A K J 10 |
| West Pass Pass Pass | North 1 2 3 5 | East Pass Pass Pass Pass | South 1 3 4 NT 6 NT |
At one table declarer ducked the K to rectify the count for a squeeze. West continued with the Q and South won the ace. The K was unblocked, then the run of the minor suits forced West to crumble — he could not protect both majors. Very nice. Or was it?
Not really. West could beat the contract by shifting to a heart at trick two. This would break declarer’s communication, and the squeeze would fail. Try it.
Enter the Florida squeeze. At the other table, declarer won the first spade and proceeded to run his minor suits. When South led his last winner, West held Q-J Q-J-8, and North held 8-6 A-K-9. There was no defense. If West let go a heart, North’s 9 would be good; so West pitched the J. Seeing this, declarer threw the 9 from dummy, then led a spade to establish his 12th trick in spades.
Curiously, it takes an original heart lead to defeat the slam against any play. Even the Florida squeeze and 500 lawyers couldn’t overcome that.
No Strings Attached
South’s 3 NT bid was optimistic. After doubling 1 and forcing North to bid, he was lucky to catch North with any points at all. (I think most experts would bid just 2 NT, leaving North the final say.) Nonetheless, it’s hard to take a dim view with 22 HCP.
3 NT by South
| None Vul | 10 4 4 3 2 7 6 3 Q J 9 8 4 | |
| 9 8 7 5 3 J 5 8 5 4 2 7 2 | | J 6 K 10 9 8 6 A Q J K 10 3 |
| Lead: J | A K Q 2 A Q 7 K 10 9 A 6 5 |
| West Pass | North 2 | East 1 Pass | South Dbl 3 NT |
West led the J and East overtook with the king (a good play in case West had a singleton) and South won the ace. The club suit offered the only real hope, so declarer cashed the A and led a second club to the queen. East, of course, did not win the king but ducked (West’s count signal made this obvious).
There was no point in leading another club with no entry to dummy, so declarer next led a diamond to his king as East ducked. That made eight tricks, but the resources were depleted — down one.
Declarer’s mistake was his no-strings-attached offer in the club suit. Instead of cashing the A, he should have led a low club to the queen immediately. East would still duck to shut out the club suit, but now declarer has a string to work with.
A diamond is led to the king as before, then declarer cashes his top spades. On the last spade winner East has an awkward discard; he can’t part with a diamond or a club, so he must pitch a heart. Declarer next cashes the Q and exits with a heart. After cashing his red-suit winners, East is forced to lead a club from the K-10, giving declarer the last two tricks. One small string ends up delivering one big trick, and the contract.
Transfer Trauma, which had additional chances, but declarer failed to take the best advantage.
6 by South
| E-W Vul | A K Q J 6 8 6 4 Q 8 6 5 A | |
| 9 4 J 9 5 2 J 10 3 2 9 8 2 | | 10 8 5 Q 10 3 9 4 K J 10 7 5 |
| Lead: 9 | 7 3 2 A K 7 A K 7 Q 6 4 3 |
| West Pass Pass Pass Pass | North 2 3 4 6 | East Pass Pass Dbl All Pass | South 1 NT 2 3 4 |
Two hearts was a Jacoby transfer, and 3 showed a second suit (forcing to game). South showed his flimsy spade support, and North control-bid 4 to try for slam as East doubled. South then showed his heart control, and North jumped to slam.
Declarer has 11 top tricks, and North’s long diamond was the best chance for 12. Rather than rely on a 3-3 break, there was a chance that the defender with four diamonds also had three trumps. Accordingly, declarer drew two rounds of trumps and played diamonds from the top. Alas, this was not a success, as East ruffed the third diamond and exited safely with a heart.
A better play would have succeeded. After winning the A, draw the enemy trumps, cross to the K, and lead a club but do not ruff it — pitch a heart from dummy. Assume East wins and returns a heart (best) won by the ace. Ruff a club, and cash the top diamonds ending in dummy. Finally, lead the last trump and the opponents must crumble. East has to keep the K; West has to keep the high diamond; so the last trick is won with the 7. A classic double squeeze.
Leading a LadyThis deal caught my interest:
3 NT by South
| Both Vul | A 2 J 9 7 J 9 K J 7 6 5 4 | |
| 10 6 5 Q 10 4 3 10 6 5 4 10 9 | | K Q 8 A 8 2 Q 8 3 Q 8 3 2 |
| Lead: 3 | J 9 7 4 3 K 6 5 A K 7 2 A |
| West Pass Pass Pass All Pass | North 1 2 3 | East Pass Pass Pass | South 1 2 3 NT |
The North player for Norway opened the bidding (do Norwegian jacks count more than ours do?) and South eventually landed in 3 NT on the bidding shown. This contract seems hopeless with the lack of communication, but it came down to an ending that provides a good lesson in defensive technique. Would you have been alert to the occasion?
West led a heart to East’s ace, and a heart was returned to the queen. Lacking an outside entry, West shifted to a spade hoping to remove dummy’s entry before the clubs were established. This was ducked to the queen, and the spade return went to the blank ace. Declarer then crossed to the A and cashed the K (a good play) before exiting with a third spade.
East was now on lead, holding: Q-8-3 Q-8-3. Endplayed? Perhaps tired from the heat of battle, East returned a low diamond. This was ducked to dummy’s jack, and declarer claimed his contract. Alas, this was not a legitimate endplay. The winning defense is for East to lead the diamond queen — yes, “leading a lady” blocks the communication — and declarer must fail. Remember this option the next time you think you are endplayed.
U.S. Tops Norway
3 NT by South
| N-S Vul | Q 8 7 A J 7 K 4 3 7 6 4 3 | |
| K 5 2 4 3 J 10 9 8 7 Q 5 2 | | J 10 6 K 9 6 5 2 2 K J 9 8 |
| Lead: J | A 9 4 3 Q 10 8 A Q 6 5 A 10 |
| West Pass | North 3 NT | East Pass All Pass | South 1 NT |
Both tables reached the same contract (not by the bidding shown, which is the recommended standard sequence) and both Wests led a diamond. The Norwegian declarer took the losing heart finesse at trick two, then a club was returned. Declarer now had only seven tricks, and there was no way to establish more without giving up the lead in spades — down one.
At the other table Lew Stansby was declarer for the U.S., and at trick two he made the superior play of a low spade to the queen, as West ducked. Spades were cleared, and West accurately shifted to a club: low, king, 10. On the next club West unblocked the queen (else the enemy club suit would be blocked).
Stansby read the situation perfectly. He cashed his last spade, crossed to dummy in diamonds, and led a club. East could take his two club winners, but the forced heart return gave declarer his ninth trick.
Did you see how the contract could be defeated? On the first club lead, East must play the jack (not the king), after which there is no need for West to unblock his queen on the next round. If declarer then goes for the endplay, West can win the third club to foil it.
Olympic PreviewThis deal is from the bridge exhibition at the previous Winter Olympics (1998) in Lausanne, Switzerland. Amazingly, the final match between China and Brazil ended in an exact tie (167-167 IMPs).
3 NT by South
| E-W Vul | 10 3 A 8 4 K J 7 3 Q J 10 4 | |
| K Q J 7 6 9 7 10 9 8 6 6 2 | | 9 5 4 2 K 6 5 2 Q 5 9 5 3 |
| Lead: K | A 8 Q J 10 3 A 4 2 A K 8 7 |
| West Pass Pass Pass | North Pass 1 3 NT | East Pass Pass All Pass | South 1 2 NT |
The Chinese declarer played flawlessly to combine his chances: He won the second spade, ran the clubs, then cashed the K and A — bingo! If the Q did not drop, he would be obliged to try the heart finesse. As it happened he won 10 tricks because West pitched a diamond on the run of the clubs.
At the other table, Brazil also played 3 NT but from the North side, and East did not lead a spade (would you?). Declarer won the friendly heart lead and returned the suit, losing to the king. When East belatedly shifted to spades, declarer faced his hand and claimed 10 tricks. This was accepted, but note that declarer really has 11 tricks with the Q falling and can actually make 12 on a squeeze. The price for being careless?
A push board! Imagine the sleepless nights when one measly IMP would have won the match.
Canada Wins the Gold
This deal from the round-robin stage caught my fancy. It was played eight times, but only three teams (Canada was one) reached the laydown slam. Four teams stopped in game, and one team stretched to a grand slam, down one. The bidding shown is a Standard American auction to 6 , although 6 NT would be a better contract.
6 by South
| N-S Vul | A Q 8 9 5 2 Q 9 4 3 Q 7 3 | |
| 10 9 3 2 J 10 6 3 10 8 7 6 5 — | | K J 7 5 K Q 8 7 J 2 9 6 2 |
| Lead: 6 | 6 4 A 4 A K A K J 10 8 5 4 |
| West Pass Pass Pass All Pass | North 2 NT 3 4 | East Pass Pass Pass | South 2 3 4 6 |
What interested me about this deal was the play; or more precisely, its application to squeeze-play theory. After a diamond lead, can declarer win all 13 tricks? With the K offside, the obvious answer is no; but a closer look reveals a potential double squeeze: West guards diamonds, East guards spades, and together they guard hearts. Alas, the traditional squeeze fails because dummy is squeezed first.
But wait! The presence of the 6 as an alternate threat (instead of the Q) brings the squeeze back to life. I’ll leave it you as an exercise. Make 7 (or 7 NT) after a diamond lead against any defense. (An original major-suit lead breaks up the squeeze.)
Copyright © 2002 Richard Pavlicek. All rights reserved.