DECLARER PLAY PROBLEM #27
Rubber bridge
South dealer
Both sides vulnerable
| NORTH ♠ K Q 9 3 ♥ K 8 6 4 3 2 ♦ 5 ♣ K 7 |
||
| SOUTH ♠ A J 10 8 4 ♥ A Q ♦ A 10 7 4 2 ♣ A |
| SOUTH | WEST | NORTH | EAST |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ♠ | Pass | 2 ♥ | Pass |
| 3 ♦ | Pass | 4 ♠ | Pass |
| 5 ♣ | Pass | 5 ♦ | Pass |
| 5 ♥ | Pass | 6 ♠ | Pass |
| 7 ♠ | Pass | Pass | Pass |
West leads the spade six.
Plan the play.
Solution
| NORTH ♠ K Q 9 3 ♥ K 8 6 4 3 2 ♦ 5 ♣ K 7 |
||
| WEST ♠ 6 ♥ J 10 9 5 ♦ Q 3 ♣ J 8 6 5 4 3 |
EAST ♠ 7 5 2 ♥ 7 ♦ K J 9 8 6 ♣ Q 10 9 2 | |
| SOUTH ♠ A J 10 8 4 ♥ A Q ♦ A 10 7 4 2 ♣ A |
EXCESS BAGGAGE. South is faced with a choice of lines of play. Setting up dummy's heart suit is the best overall plan. This will offer no difficulties if hearts are three-two, but the shortage of entries to dummy could create a problem when hearts break four-one. For example, suppose declarer draws three rounds of trumps, and unblocks the ace-queen of hearts. If hearts are four-one, dummy has an entry to establish that suit but no reentry to cash the rest of the hearts.
To preserve entries (and thus guard against the combination of three-one spades and four-one hearts), declasrer should win the first trick, cash one high heart and the club ace, enter dummy with a second round of trumps, discard the remaining heart from the closed hand on the king of clubs, ruff a heart high, lead a third round of trumps to dummy, ruff another heart if necessary, and claim--dummy is high.
(Based on a deal and analysis from the 1964 National Industrial Recreation Association Par-Hand Bridge Tournament by William S. Root and Lawrence Rosler.)
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