Problem 13 Solution
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K9x |
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KQxxxx
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Kxxx |
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Jxx |
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AQx |
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10xxx |
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AJx |
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10xxxx |
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x |
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Q109xx |
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10xxx |
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AKQJ9x |
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AJx |
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Contract 3NT by South would you rather play or defend?
You should defend, but the play
is complex. The main variation occurs after a Heart to the Ace and
the Heart J back (if a low Heart win and return a Heart for a trivial 10
tricks). This must be ducked or communication between East & West
is established. Now East must switch specifically to a Club (a Diamond
is no good). At some point South plays a Spade to the 9 and Q (it doesn't
matter when). East must now specifically return the third Heart (which
means that if South has cashed 4 Diamonds throwing 3 Hearts and a Club East
must specifically throw 2 Clubs) keeping AQx, x, ---, Q10). If East
ever throws a Spade the Spade Ace can be ducked out so these discards are
forced. Now, when a Club is played to the Ace West is triple squeezed
(a Heart gives 2 Heart tricks, a Diamond the 5th Diamond trick and a Spade
allows you to play a Spade to the J, K and A establishing your 10). But the
Heart back triple squeezes South first before you can play a Club.
If South pitchs a Diamond the Diamond menace is gone, if a Club the communications
are ruined and you can generate 9 tricks but cannot get to them and if a
Spade then your 10 is stiff so it does not matter if West pitchs a Spade
(you have had to pitch a Spade and a Diamond on the first 2 Diamonds).
Thanks to Alan Mould for the extensive
analysis of this hand, which was a minor variation on a deal from a league
match in 2004. I originally posed this as a problem thinking that East
had to defend against a strip squeeze, not realising that the seemingly unimportant
West hand would be involved.