Puzzles 9P01 (1998) 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, although the categorization was 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 have corrected a few obvious typos in duplicated spot cards. Each ending is named to describe the technique (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 the second ending that is illegal (unreachable without a revoke). Originally, I had only noticed one.]

1. Avoidance

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

2. The Pitt coup

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

3. Gambit and jettison

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

4. Forced finesse

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

5. Strip setup finesse

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

6. Double strip finesse

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

7. Crossruff strip

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

8. Jettison entry strip

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

9. Jettison two-entry strip

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

10. Double-entry strip

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

11. Fork strip

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

12. Total fork strip

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

13. Progressive fork strip

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

14. Transfer fork strip

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

15. Jettison double fork strip

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

16. Repeat-jettison fork strip

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

17. Two-fork double strip

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

18. Double blocked fork strip

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

19. Crossruff or finesse strip

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

20. Crossruff entry strip

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

21. Crossruff fork strip

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

22. Crossruff split-fork strip

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

23. Entry or fork strip

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

24. Jettison-entry fork strip

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

25. Blocked fork strip or entry strip

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

26. Crossruff entry fork strip

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

Tribe 2: Coups, Endplays of Time

27. En passant

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

28. Grand coup

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

29. Grand coup fork strip

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

30. Overruff grand coup

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

31. Repeating grand coup

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

32. Undercut

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

33. Uppercut

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

34. Smother play

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

35. Double smother

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

Tribe 3: Squeezes, Endplays of Mass

36. Double squeeze

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

37. Double squeeze

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

38. Double automatic squeeze

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

39. Split squeeze

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

40. Overtake squeeze

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

41. Progressive squeeze

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

42. Transfer repeat squeeze

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

43. Three-two squeeze

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

44. Finesse jettison squeeze

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

45. Progressive jettison squeeze

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

46. Progressive jettison squeeze or squeeze

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

47. Trump squeeze

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

48. Squeeze or forced finesse

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

49. Finesse squeeze

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

Tribe 4: Compound and Hybrid Endings

50. One-way finesse or fork strip

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

51. Forced jettison strip squeeze

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

52. Crossruff strip triple squeeze

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

53. Forced triple squeeze (with fork strip)

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

54. Squeeze strip or suitout

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

55. Triple squeeze forced finesse

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

56. Jettison squeeze finesse

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

57. Squeeze or squeeze strip

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

58. Triple squeeze scoop strip

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

59. Triple squeeze entry strip

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

60. Jettison triple squeeze entry strip

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

61. Fork squeeze entry strip

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

62. Squeeze finesse

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

63. Finesse threat 3-2 squeeze

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

64. Hexagon squeeze finesse

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

65. One-way squeeze scoop finesse

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

66. Automatic squeeze scoop finesse

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

67. Squeeze ruffout

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

68. Squeeze overruff

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

Tribe 5: Five-Card Problems

69. Repeat-squeeze entry strip

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

70. Forced unblock triple-squeeze scoop

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

71. Squeeze unblock finesse

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

72. Blocked fork strip

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

73. En passant mutate

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

74. Repeated trump discard

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

75. Squeeze scoop ruffout

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

76. Coup or squeeze

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

77. Triple-squeeze ruffout

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

78. Progressive squeeze jettison scoop

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

79. Double squeeze strip

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

80. One-way squeeze or ditto

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

81. En passant or double squeeze

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

82. Squeeze entry strip

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

83. Double-squeeze scoop

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

84. Jettison strip mutate

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

85. Split squeeze entry strip

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

86. Hexagon squeeze finesse

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

87. Endplays in series

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

88. Contra squeeze

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