DECLARER PLAY PROBLEM #9

Rubber bridge
West dealer
East-West vulnerable

	NORTH ♠ A 5 4 ♥ K 6 3 ♦ K 8 7 4 2 ♣ 9 4
	SOUTH ♠ 7 6 3 2 ♥ A 8 7 ♦ A Q ♣ A K 5 3

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
—	Pass	Pass	Pass
1 NT	Pass	3 NT	Pass
Pass	Pass

West leads the spade king.

Plan the play.

Solution

	NORTH ♠ A 5 4 ♥ K 6 3 ♦ K 8 7 4 2 ♣ 9 4
WEST ♠ K Q J 10 ♥ Q 9 2 ♦ 10 9 ♣ Q 10 7 6		EAST ♠ 9 8 ♥ J 10 5 4 ♦ J 6 5 3 ♣ J 8 2
	SOUTH ♠ 7 6 3 2 ♥ A 8 7 ♦ A Q ♣ A K 5 3

WATCH THE SPOTS. Declarer, with eight sure tricks, should begin by ducking the first two leads of spades (in the hope that spades divide three-three, or that West has only two spades and will not be able to knock out dummy's ace-of-spades entry by leading spades a third time). This duck is good technique, but does not affect the result with the cards as shown in the diagram.

After taking the ace of spades, South should start diamonds by cashing the ace and leading the queen. When West plays the nine and ten on the first two leads, declarer can make sure of the contract by overtaking the diamond queen with dummy's king and leading the seven or eight from dummy. Good defense can defeat all other lines of play.

(Based on a deal and analysis from the 1963 National Industrial Recreation Association Par-Hand Bridge Tournament by William S. Root and Lawrence Rosler.)

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