Puzzle 7F29 Main

A Ditch in Time

by Richard Pavlicek

North-South have shown little respect for point count, and their brash 3 NT contract is likely to make. Your job as East-West is to teach them a lesson! Defeat this overbid against any play by declarer.

South deals	3 2		West	North	East	South
None vul	K 10 9 8 7					1
	K 8 7 6		1	2	Pass	2 NT
	K J		Pass	3 NT	Pass	Pass
Q 9 8 7 6 5		10	Pass
A Q 6 5		J 2
A 10		J 9 2
10		A 8 7 6 5 4 3
	A K J 4
	4 3
	Q 5 4 3
3 NT South	Q 9 2

Clearly, a spade lead is disastrous — declarer gets three spades, three diamonds (by first leading low through West), two clubs and a heart with routine play. And after a passive lead, West must be careful not to get endplayed. Enough hints, now take it from there.

How can 3 NT be defeated?

Puzzle 7F29 Main

Top A Ditch in Time

Solution

The only successful lead is the 10, but even then declarer can succeed with routine defense. If East ducks the first club, South wins a spade and leads a diamond, which West wins and exits with a diamond. North wins the K; South the Q; then a heart to the king and another heart put the defenders at bay.

The killing defense is for East to win the A and return a club — sound the trumpets — on which West throws the A (a ditch in time).

3 NT South	3 2		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	K 10 9 8 7		1. W	10!	K	A	2
	K 8 7 6		2. E	3	9	A!	J
	K J		3. N	6	J!	Q	10
Q 9 8 7 6 5		10	4. S	3	5	K	2
A Q 6 5		J 2	5. N	7	9	4	6
A 10		J 9 2		continued below…
10		A 8 7 6 5 4 3
	A K J 4
	4 3
	Q 5 4 3
	Q 9 2

Declarer wins the club return in dummy and leads a low diamond; East plays the jack (else South ducks to West) and South wins the Q. North wins the K, then a third diamond goes to East to reach this position:

NT win 6/8	3 2		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
East leads	K 10 9 8 7		6. E	4	Q	Q!	8
	8		7. S	5	A!	7	5
	—			Declarer fails
Q 9 8 7		10
A Q 6 5		J 2
—		—
—		8 7 6 5 4
	A K J 4
	4 3
	5
	Q

East must return a club. West cannot part with a spade, else South will lead the J; nor one of his two low hearts, else South will lead a heart and duck if West plays the Q, eventually endplaying West. Therefore, West ditches the Q! When South next leads his last diamond, West completes the spectacle by ditching the A to leave declarer helpless — and no doubt speechless.

Well, there you have it, folks: A ditch in time saves nine! Okay, okay, it took three ditches, but who’s counting. Isn’t that how you would defend at the table?

Puzzle 7F29 Main

Top A Ditch in Time

© 1995 Richard Pavlicek