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Bridge Puzzle

16.02.2019

Steve Becker

Opening lead: 10 of hearts

The best that can be said for reaching an anti-percentage contract is that it frequently presents declarer with a challenge during the play. That was the case in this deal where South stretched his values somewhat to reach a shaky slam. However, he then justified his rosy assessment by finding a way to bring in 12 tricks.
When dummy came down, prospects were not too good. To begin with, there was at least one sure trump loser, and on top of that, there was either a diamond or a club loser,
depending on what South discarded on dummy’s third heart.
The slam was not hopeless, though, since there were two legitimate chances to make it. After winning the heart lead in dummy, declarer led the jack of spades and took East’s queen with the ace as West followed low.

Next came two more heart winners, South discarding a club, followed by the A-K of clubs and a club ruff, on which West discarded a diamond. Had the clubs divided 3-3 instead of 4-2, the slam would have been in the bag at this point since dummy’s fourth club would provide a parking place for South’s diamond loser.

But, even after the clubs failed to break, the battle was not yet lost. South still had one last chance, and so, with fingers crossed, he exited with a trump in the hope that West had both the king of spades and king of diamonds. The hope became a full-fledged reality when West won the trump lead with the king and was forced to return a diamond or a heart, either of which handed declarer the slam.

For details about local bridge events, go to the HK Contract Bridge Association website.

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