…And it quacks like a duck, you got a duck — at least you do on each of these problems.The catch is deciding which suit and when. How do you play each contract?
It might appear that you should duck the first trick, but that would be an error. The opponents might shift to a club (and lead another club later) to knock out dummy’s A entry before you can establish the spade suit.
Win the K and duck a spade. The first-round duck is crucial to establish the long spade in the likely event they break 4-2. Whatever the return, win in hand and finesse the Q (or win the ace if the king pops up) and continue spades.
West held: K-8 Q-10-8-4 J-9-7 Q-10-8-6
West’s lead of your first bid suit is surely a singleton, so the danger is obvious: If you cash the top spades, West will ruff; then the opponents can lead two rounds of trumps, leaving you a trick short.
It doesn’t help to draw trumps. After winning the A, you should duck a spade. Then you can ruff your low spades (with the Q-10 if necessary) and eventually draw trumps to win the K, or crossruff, depending on the defense.
West held: 9 A-7-5 K-J-10-8 J-9-7-6-5
Your 10th trick might come from (1) a heart ruff or (2) establishing the diamond suit. The opponents can prevent (1) by leading trumps, or (2) by attacking dummy’s A entry — but with proper technique, they can’t stop both.
Win the A, cash the A-K, and ruff a diamond (assume they break 4-2). Next duck a heart. If they drive out the A, you can ruff your heart; if they clear trumps, you can establish the long diamond with the A entry. Neat.
West held: 5-4 K-8-7-5 Q-10-9-4 Q-J-10
© 2002 Richard Pavlicek