Almost Bridge 9P01 by Richard Pavlicek

The “Great 88” Conspiracy

The first 88 problems in Double Dummy Bridge, all five-card endings, were an attempt to illustrate all the possible endplay techniques. Dubbed the “Great 88,” these mini-problems were divided into five “Tribes” according to the kind of endplay, though the categorization was a bit fuzzy and Coffin chose to fudge with his title of Tribe 5. Nonetheless, the work is a significant contribution to card-play theory and its classical status is deserved.

Here are some curious facts:

Being a puzzler at heart, I won’t reveal the culprits; but I have presented the “Great 88” here for your examination. Or, perhaps I should say, the “Great 85” plus three impostors. These are exactly as in the book, however, I corrected a few obvious typos in duplicated spot cards. Each ending is given a name to describe the technique involved (the terminology is Coffin’s, which may be archaic today), and you are told which suit is trumps (or notrump), the number of tricks North-South must win, and the player on lead.

So, if you have nothing better to do, you might want to play bridge detective. Can you find the three bogus endings? I won’t tell you the answer here, but I’ll give you a hint: Start from the end and work backwards. If you think you have found them, or gave up trying, you can e-mail me for the answer.

[Addendum: March 2001. Thanks to Jonathan Weinstein for discovering a second ending that is illegal (unreachable without a revoke). Originally, I had only noticed one.]

Avoidance

South leads	A 9 8 7 — A —
K 2 A Q 3 — —		Q 5 9 8 7 — —
	6 4 K 2 2 —

The Pitt coup

South leads	A 2 7 5 3 — —
3 Q 9 8 A —		Q 9 6 4 Q —
	K J — 7 5 3 —

Gambit and jettison

South leads	A 8 7 3 A —
8 Q Q 9 8 —		6 9 K K J
	— A 6 — Q 4 3

Forced finesse

South leads	8 4 2 3 2 — —
J 9 7 5 2 —		A 7 6 K 8 — —
	K Q 3 A Q — —

Strip setup finesse

South leads	7 — Q 6 3 A
5 — — K 9 8 4		9 — J 10 8 7
	— — K 9 4 6 5

Double strip finesse

South leads	— 8 6 — A 9 6
— 9 8 8 7 4		5 A 5 3 — 5
	A 7 4 2 — 2

Crossruff strip

South leads	9 7 — 7 2 2
J J K J J		— Q 3 Q K Q
	8 6 — A 8 8

Jettison entry strip

South leads	2 3 2 — A 2
— K Q K Q 8		— — J 9 K J 6
	— — A 4 3 Q 3

Jettison two-entry strip

South leads	— A 7 — Q J 5
8 K 3 — K 9		— 6 5 A K 9 —
	J J 9 Q J —

Double-entry strip

South leads	7 4 3 A A —
A 6 5 K K —		Q Q Q Q J
	K J 2 — — 3 2

Fork strip

South leads	5 2 5 5 5
K 6 3 K A —		9 8 9 9 9
	A Q A 3 A

Total fork strip

South leads	10 4 2 — A 4
A 9 6 — 3 5		Q J 7 — J Q
	K 8 5 8 6 —

Progressive fork strip

South leads	Q 3 — — K Q J
8 6 5 4 A — —		K 10 2 — — 6 4
	A J 9 7 J — —

Transfer fork strip

South leads	6 4 — A J 5
— Q K 4 9 2		— — 6 5 Q 8 4
	— — 7 2 K 6 3

Jettison double fork strip

South leads	— — J 10 8 6 2
9 9 5 3 8 —		7 8 — A 9 7
	J 6 4 2 5 —

Repeat-jettison fork strip

South leads	— A A K J 7
J 3 7 6 4 —		5 — Q 9 A Q
	Q 2 K J 8 —

Two-fork double strip

South leads	— 8 J 7 A 9
— 6 5 Q Q 6		— Q 7 A 8 8
	A A 9 3 6 —

Double blocked fork strip

South leads	— Q 9 J 9 5 —
4 J K 7 3 —		— K 10 7 3 Q —
	9 8 A 6 4 —

Crossruff or finesse strip

South leads	10 5 — A 10 5
— K Q — K Q 9		— J 10 K Q J
	5 A — 4 3 2

Crossruff entry strip

South leads	3 4 A 3 2
— 7 5 9 8 A		— K K K Q J
	5 4 A — 7 5

Crossruff fork strip

South leads	A A Q Q A
— J 9 J J 9		— K 5 K K Q
	3 3 2 3 3

Crossruff split-fork strip

South leads	3 Q — K 10 3
— K A J 8 6		— A 9 — Q 7 5
	4 6 — A 9 4

Entry or fork strip

South leads	3 7 2 Q 2 —
— Q 9 8 K 9 —		2 J 5 4 J —
	— A K 3 A 7 —

Jettison-entry fork strip

South leads	K 9 8 4 — K —
— 9 8 A 6 5 —		A J — — 8 7 6
	— Q 6 5 7 2 —

Blocked fork strip or entry strip

South leads	K J 3 — K 8
— 9 9 Q 7 2		Q 7 — Q J 9
	— J 8 4 J 6

Crossruff entry fork strip

South leads	3 3 2 — 5 3
— 6 4 6 6 4		— — 9 8 7 5 4 —
	7 5 7 5 — 2

En passant

South leads	A 5 4 2 — 2
9 8 9 9 9		7 — A 7 8 7
	— 3 3 2 A 3

Grand coup

South leads	— 4 2 A K A
J 9 — J 9 J		K 4 — 4 3 4
	A Q 2 — 2 2

Grand coup fork strip

South leads	8 7 6 A — 9
K Q 9 9 9 —		3 K K K Q
	A J 10 2 — A —

Overruff grand coup

South leads	Q 9 7 2 — — Q
J 10 8 3 2 — —		— — K 6 K 6 2
	5 4 4 5 4

Repeating grand coup

South leads	A K — — Q 10 8
4 3 2 8 8 —		J 9 7 6 5 — — —
	Q 10 8 A A —

Undercut

South leads	— 4 A 6 5 A
— A Q J 9 8 —		K Q 10 — K 4
	A J 2 6 4 —

Uppercut

South leads	Q 7 8 J A
9 8 3 A 9 —		A 6 5 — 2 8
	4 2 4 2 4 —

Smother play

South leads	A 4 2 2 — 2
K 6 5 3 3 — —		10 9 10 9 10 —
	Q J 8 7 7 — —

Double smother

South leads	A 10 3 — A K —
Q 8 5 5 5 —		J 6 6 6 6
	K 9 2 A — 4

Double squeeze

South leads	A 2 2 — K Q
Q 9 A — J 9		K J — A 8 6
	3 — 2 A 7 2

Double squeeze

South leads	9 4 — 2 K 3
J — 8 9 7 2		A 5 Q — J 8
	Q 6 3 2 — 6

Double automatic squeeze

South leads	A Q 3 — — K 4
K 9 6 — A 9		J 8 7 A — 7
	2 2 2 A 2

Split squeeze

South leads	K 3 — 7 4 A
Q — — J 8 7 6		J — Q J K 9
	A 2 — A Q 2

Overtake squeeze

South leads	A 9 6 4 — — K
3 A 2 A A		10 8 7 5 2 — — —
	K Q J K K —

Progressive squeeze

South leads	3 A 3 Q 4
K 9 K 9 9 —		Q 8 2 — J A
	A 7 7 K 8 —

Transfer repeat squeeze

South leads	A 7 4 6 7
K 6 5 4 — Q —		J 9 — 9 8 Q
	Q 8 — A 5 4 —

Three-two squeeze

South leads	— A 4 4 4 2
— K 6 K J 9		— — A 3 8 6 3
	7 7 — A Q 7

Finesse jettison squeeze

South leads	K 8 — 9 5 3 —
Q 7 6 4 — K —		— J J 10 7 9
	— 9 Q 8 6 3

Progressive jettison squeeze

South leads	A 4 9 A 5
Q J — K J Q		— 7 3 7 6 4 —
	9 6 K 4 8 —

Progressive jettison squeeze or squeeze

South leads	— A 3 A 9 Q
— Q 4 K 4 K		— 7 5 8 7 6 —
	9 8 6 Q J —

Trump squeeze

South leads	K J 8 4 — — K
10 9 A A A		Q 6 5 — — 3 2
	A 7 3 K K —

Squeeze or forced finesse

South leads	K Q K Q J —
A 8 7 6 5 — — —		9 A K 9 3 —
	2 3 A Q 7 —

Finesse squeeze

South leads	8 2 — A 9 2
— 7 3 K J 9		— 6 2 8 7 4
	— 5 4 Q A 6

One-way finesse or fork strip

South leads	K J — — A 6 2
— — Q 5 Q J 5		A Q 9 — J 7 —
	8 5 3 — K 4 —

Forced jettison strip squeeze

South leads	— A A J 6 4 —
J J 10 8 6 — —		8 — Q 9 8 K
	9 Q 9 7 — 7

Crossruff strip triple squeeze

North leads	6 7 6 — 7 6
— — K J 8 7 6 —		9 Q J — Q J
	7 K 8 Q 8

Forced triple squeeze (with fork strip)

South leads	9 Q 8 — Q 7
10 8 — 10 10 8		— J 7 — J 6 4
	A 6 9 9 9

Squeeze strip or suitout

South leads	— 7 6 A 2 2
— K 9 4 9 5 —		— J 8 K Q K
	7 A Q 5 7 —

Triple squeeze forced finesse

South leads	Q 6 3 8 2
10 4 10 — 10 4		K 8 2 A 8
	— A 4 K A K

Jettison squeeze finesse

South leads	A K 2 K 2 —
K A A 8 7		4 2 — — Q J 9
	5 3 — — A K 3

Squeeze or squeeze strip

South leads	— A Q 9 K Q —
4 — — Q 6 5 4		7 K J A J —
	K 2 2 J 10

Triple squeeze scoop strip

South leads	K 8 7 4 — — 2
Q J Q Q Q		A 6 5 — — 9 8
	2 9 9 A K

Triple squeeze entry strip

South leads	A 6 5 4 K — —
3 2 A A A		10 9 8 7 — — K
	K Q J — K 2

Jettison triple squeeze entry strip

South leads	4 3 2 J A
9 5 9 — K 9		K — 9 8 5 4
	A — 4 3 2 6

Fork squeeze entry strip

South leads	— A 5 2 — A 9
— Q 8 6 — 6 4		— J K 9 K 8
	— K 7 3 Q 7 —

Squeeze finesse

South leads	K 2 9 9 K
Q 3 A A Q		J 8 6 4 — — J
	A 9 5 — — A 2

Finesse threat 3-2 squeeze

South leads	2 — K 5 A 7
— 9 Q 8 J 9		— J 8 J 9 7 —
	— 2 A 10 4 3 —

Hexagon squeeze finesse

South leads	2 A 9 2 2
A K 4 K Q		K Q Q 4 J
	— 2 A 9 A K

One-way squeeze scoop finesse

South leads	K J 2 K — 2
9 8 7 A — 3		Q 5 4 3 — 4
	A 6 3 — — A K

Automatic squeeze scoop finesse

South leads	— — 10 5 A 5 2
— — 9 3 10 8 6		9 8 — Q 7 6 —
	— 9 K 8 K 9

Squeeze ruffout

South leads	A 5 — K 9 8 —
— K Q Q J 10 —		7 — — Q J 8 7
	9 3 10 9 5 — —

Squeeze overruff

South leads	Q 5 5 — K Q
— J 6 4 J 5		K K 10 8 7 —
	— A 8 7 10 9

Repeat-squeeze entry strip

South leads	2 K 4 K K
8 A 2 Q Q		A K 9 7 9 — —
	Q J 6 4 8 — —

Forced unblock triple-squeeze scoop

South leads	Q J 8 7 7 —
A K 7 — — K 7		— 9 J J 9 4
	9 6 5 — — Q 8

Squeeze unblock finesse

South leads	Q 5 3 2 — J
J 10 9 7 — — A		A 6 4 K 9 — —
	K 8 A J — 9

Blocked fork strip

South leads	— Q 7 J 9 2 —
3 J K 8 5 —		— K 9 5 2 Q —
	J 8 A 7 3 —

En passant mutate

West leads	8 6 7 4 — 8
— Q 9 8 K J —		A Q 6 7 6 —
	K A J Q 10 —

Repeated trump discard

West leads	4 2 Q J 9 — —
9 7 9 7 6 —		K Q 8 — Q J —
	A J 6 3 — — 8

Squeeze scoop ruffout

South leads	— K 9 K A Q
— Q J Q J 6		— A 8 — K 5 4
	9 7 — 9 9 7

Coup or squeeze

South leads	8 6 4 — — Q 9
7 5 — 6 10 7		— 5 J 10 K 8
	— 7 7 A 4 2

Triple-squeeze ruffout

West leads	5 2 — 9 8 9
— K Q 9 7 5 — —		J 2 K Q Q
	A 4 — 7 4 7

Progressive squeeze jettison scoop

South leads	5 9 5 — A 7
9 A 10 — K 8		— Q 8 — J 10 9
	— J 7 6 Q 3

Double squeeze strip

South leads	— A 9 7 8 3 —
K 5 K 5 4 — —		— 10 8 6 10 9 —
	8 Q J 3 — Q

One-way squeeze or ditto

South leads	7 Q 7 7 7
A 9 8 6 5 —		— — A 6 8 6 4
	— J J 4 J 5

En passant or double squeeze

South leads	J 5 5 — J 8
Q 9 Q — 9 6		— — 9 8 Q 7 4
	3 — J 3 K 3

Squeeze entry strip

South leads	5 Q 6 A J —
Q 6 — 9 7 6 —		9 J 9 K K
	8 — Q 5 4 8

Double-squeeze scoop

South leads	— — 8 6 A Q 6
— — J 10 J 10 7		— 9 8 — K 8 4
	J J — 9 5 3

Jettison strip mutate

South leads	— A A K 9 2
— K 9 7 3 Q		3 J 5 — A 10
	5 Q 6 10 8 —

Split squeeze entry strip

South leads	J 5 3 — A Q —
— 9 6 4 4 2 —		K Q 9 — K J —
	8 2 Q 7 3 — —

Hexagon squeeze finesse

South leads	— 9 A 9 7 5
— J J 6 J 6		— Q 7 Q 7 Q
	8 K 8 8 8

Endplays in series

South leads	9 A 8 — 8 7
K K 7 6 5 — —		10 — 10 9 10 9
	— 9 2 5 A 4

Contra squeeze

South leads	— A 10 4 3 A
— — A Q 7 6 5 —		A 2 K J K
	K Q J — K 2 —