DECLARER PLAY PROBLEM #37

Rubber bridge
South dealer
East-West vulnerable

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

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
1 NT	Pass	4 NT	Pass
Pass	Pass

West leads the diamond king; East plays the jack.

Plan the play.

Solution

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

THROUGH THE WRINGER. South should duck the first diamond lead (although, with the cards as in the diagram, this does not affect the result) and win the second. When declarer takes dummy's ace and queen of clubs, and East shows out on the second club lead, South has only nine quick tricks. However, cashing the top spades and hearts forces West to discard two winning diamonds. Then, declarer can play a diamond to force a lead away from the jack of clubs.

(Based on a deal and analysis from the 1964 National Intercollegiate Bridge Tournament by William S. Root and Lawrence Rosler.)

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