DECLARER PLAY PROBLEM #14

Rubber bridge
South dealer
North-South vulnerable

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

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
1 ♠	Pass	2 NT	Pass
3 ♦	Pass	3 ♠	Pass
4 ♠	Pass	Pass	Pass

West leads the club jack: deuce, six, four. West continues with the club ten.

Plan the play.

Solution

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

CLEAR THE TRACKS. South must run five diamond tricks to make the contract. There would be little problem if trumps were three-two. Upon discovering the four-one trump break, declarer must risk cashing two top diamonds while there is still a trump in dummy to provide an entry back to the closed hand. Success depends on the defender with four trumps holding two or three diamonds. After two rounds of diamonds stand up, declarer draws trumps, discarding dummy's remaining high diamond on the fourth round of spades. This unblocks the diamonds, allowing South to run the balance of the suit.

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

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