Puzzle 7F12 Main |
| by Richard Pavlicek |
The bidding may make you nauseous, but suppose youre declarer in this optimistic slam. Obviously your only problem is the trump suit, which appears to contain two inescapable losers.
6 South E-W Vul | A K 5 4 K 2 A 5 4 3 A 3 2 | West Pass Pass | North 6 | East Pass | SOUTH 3 Pass | ||
J 10 9 Q 4 3 Q J 10 9 J 10 9 | 8 7 6 A K 8 7 6 Q 8 7 6 5 | ||||||
Lead: Q | Q 3 2 J 10 9 8 7 6 5 2 K 4 |
It would be sweet if West would cover an honor with an honor when you lead the J, but you know he will play low.
How can 6 be made?
The key is not to lead trumps until you eliminate all the side suits. Win the A and ruff a diamond; cross to the A and ruff another diamond; cross to the K and ruff the last diamond. Next play the K, A, and ruff a club.
6 South | A K 5 4 | Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
K 2 | 1 W | Q | A | 6 | 2 | ||
A 5 4 3 | 2 N | 3 | K | 5 | 9 | ||
A 3 2 | 3 S | 2 | 9 | A | 6 | ||
J 10 9 | 8 7 6 | 4 N | 4 | 7 | 6 | 10 | |
Q 4 3 | A | 5 S | 3 | 10 | K | 7 | |
Q J 10 9 | K 8 7 6 | 6 N | 5 | 8 | 7 | J | |
J 10 9 | Q 8 7 6 5 | 7 S | K | 9 | 2 | 5 | |
Q 3 2 | 8 S | 4 | 10 | A | 6 | ||
J 10 9 8 7 6 5 | 9 N | 3 | 7 | 8 | J | ||
2 | continued below | ||||||
Lead: Q | K 4 |
This leaves the following ending:
win 3 | 5 4 | Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
K 2 | 10 S | Q | J | 4 | 8 | ||
| 11 S | J | 3 | 2 | A | ||
| 12 E | 8 | 9 | ? | |||
J | 8 | Declarer succeeds | |||||
Q 4 3 | A | ||||||
| | ||||||
| 8 7 | ||||||
Q | |||||||
J 10 9 | |||||||
| |||||||
South leads | |
Next cash the Q and lead the J (West does not cover) to Easts ace. The forced club return allows you to ruff with the 9 and capture Wests queen no matter what he does a rare technique called a smother play. If West overruffs, you overruff with dummys king; if West underruffs, you pitch the spade.
Now that you see how to make 6 , do you see how to defeat it? West must lead a trump on the opening lead!
Bridge can be a crazy game sometimes.
Puzzle 7F12 Main | Top Capture the Queen |
© 1994 Richard Pavlicek