DECLARER PLAY PROBLEM #35

Rubber bridge
East dealer
Neither side vulnerable

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

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
—	—	—	Pass
1 ♣	1 ♠	2 ♥	Pass
2 NT	Pass	3 NT	Pass
Pass	Pass

West leads the spade six.

Plan the play.

Solution

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

ONE-WAY STREET. South needs four heart tricks to fulfill the contract, and must get them without letting East on lead for a fatal spade play. If declarer starts hearts by leading the ten from dummy, the contract is assured unless West has all five missing hearts. As the cards lie, if East covers the heart ten, declarer must lead a second diamond to dummy and finesse the heart eight on the way back. If either heart finesse should lose to West, the contract would still be safe.

(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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