Puzzles 7HA0 Main
One Trump Loser!
by Richard PavlicekPuzzles 7HA0 Main |
| by Richard Pavlicek |
On each of these deals the contract is 6 
doubled, and West leads the 
Q. Amazingly, each can be made, losing only one trump trick. Can you perform the magic?
| South deals | Q 9 2 | West | North | East | South | |
| None vul |  A K 5 4 | 2
| ||||
| A K 3 2 | Pass | 2 NT | Pass | 3  1
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| K 2 | Pass | 4 NT2 | Pass | 5 3
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| A J 8 7 |  | — | Pass | 6 | Pass | Pass |
| 8 7 6 | Q J 10 9 | Dbl | All Pass | |||
| Q J 10 9 | 8 7 6
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| 10 9 | Q J 8 7 6 5 | 1. feature | ||||
| K 10 6 5 4 3 | 2. Roman key-card Blackwood | |||||
| 3 2 | 3. 2 key cards (no Q)
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| Lead: Q | 5 4
| |||||
| 6 × South | A 4 3 | |||||
West appears to have two natural trump tricks, but a little magic might cure that.
| Puzzles 7HA0 Main |  | Top One Trump Loser! |
For the next slam you may need some tranquilizer darts:
| South deals | K 10 2 | West | North | East | South | |
| N-S vul | 3 2 | 1
| ||||
| A K 3 2 | 2 NT | Dbl | 3 | 3 ?
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| A K 3 2 | Pass | 4 NT | Pass | 5
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| — |  | Q J 8 6 4 3 | Pass | 6 | Dbl | All Pass |
| 9 8 7 | Q J 10
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| Q J 10 9 8 | 7 6
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| Q J 10 9 8 | 7 6
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| A 9 7 5
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| A K 6 5 4
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| Lead: Q | 5 4
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| 6 × South | 5 4 | |||||
Seeing East’s trumps might make you ill, but they can be neutralized. Do you see how?
| Puzzles 7HA0 Main | | Top One Trump Loser! |
Your final test pits you against an escapee from the asylum:
| East deals | K 2 | West | North | East | South | |
| Both vul | A K 2 | 2 1 | 2
| |||
| A K 3 2 | Pass | 3 | Dbl2 | 3
| ||
| 8 7 6 5 | Pass | 6 | Dbl3 | Pass | ||
| J 8 7 6 |  | A | Pass | Pass | ||
| J 10 9 | 8 7 6 5 4 3
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| Q J 10 | 9 8 7 | 1. lunatic on the loose | ||||
| J 10 9 | 4 3 2 | 2. removing any doubt | ||||
| Q 10 9 5 4 3 | 3. lead-directing | |||||
| Q
| ||||||
| Lead: Q | 6 5 4
| |||||
| 6 × South | A K Q | |||||
It looks impossible to stop West from making his J, but that’s an illusion. Harry Houdini would find a way.
| Puzzles 7HA0 Main | Solutions | Top One Trump Loser! |
Win the A-K and ruff a diamond; win the A-K and ruff a heart; win the A-K and ruff the last diamond. This reduces West to all trumps with South on lead.
Lead a club; West ruffs with the 7 and North overruffs with the nine. Finally, lead the last heart and ruff with the K. If West overruffs with the ace, he will be endplayed in trumps; if he underruffs, he is left with A-J in front of the queen.
Cash all your side winners and ruff a heart with the 2, leaving with East with all trumps. Lead a minor suit and overruff as cheaply as possible. Say, East ruffs with the jack and you win the ace. Ruff a heart with the K forcing East to underruff. Lead a minor suit to overruff again (if East ruffs with the queen, discard your last heart). Finally, ruff your last heart with the 10 and watch East squirm.
Win the A and cash the A-K (ignore the Q) to ditch a diamond; ruff a heart; win the K; ruff a diamond and cash three clubs. This leaves West with all trumps.
Duck a spade to East’s blank ace. On the forced heart return play the 9 and West’s jack is smothered. If he overruffs, you will overruff with the king. If he underruffs, you will discard from dummy.
Amazingly, the Lunatic’s “lead-directing” double of 6 was on the mark, as an original trump lead would defeat the slam.
Keep practicing your magic! With a little more experience you’ll know enough to redouble!
| Puzzles 7HA0 Main | | Top One Trump Loser! |
© 1998 Richard Pavlicek