| West | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | K |
 | Q J 9 |
 | K J 8 2 |
| North | |
|---|---|
| J 9 7 6 |
| |
| 8 2 |
| 7 4 |
| East | |
|---|---|
| |
| Q 10 6 3 |
| 10 7 |
| Q 10 |
| South | |
|---|---|
| |
| A J 9 7 |
| K 4 |
| A 3 |
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- Question 1
You are on lead, South, Declarer in 6 Spades, doubled, vulnerable. There are 8 tricks left. Only if you win all 8 will you make your contract. How will you do it ?
Devised by W.H. Whitfeld, card editor of the Field, in the late 19th century. "If you don't know the solution, I guarantee that it will take you or any of your staff three or four days." "We have a higher opinion of our readers' skill than to allot them such a time-limit as this," wrote the editors. "But certainly anyone who can solve this problem in three or four hours will have good cause to be congratulated on his ingenuity."
- Answer 1
You are on lead, South, Declarer in 6 Spades, doubled, vulnerable. There are 8 tricks left. Only if you win all 8 will you make your contract. How will you do it ?
Devised by W.H. Whitfeld, card editor of the Field, in the late 19th century. "If you don't know the solution, I guarantee that it will take you or any of your staff three or four days." "We have a higher opinion of our readers' skill than to allot them such a time-limit as this," wrote the editors. "But certainly anyone who can solve this problem in three or four hours will have good cause to be congratulated on his ingenuity."
Answer
Squeeze ???
- Question 2
Which suit are you going to squeeze ?
- Answer 2
Which suit are you going to squeeze ?
Answer
We have 7 top tricks, so the stage is set. Since both opponents control
and , we require a double squeeze.
We have to use the Jack as an expendable threat against East (i.e. one we chuck
if East retains Queen).
So, engaging mouth before brain (i.e. not planning the play!) we do the
following:
A, throw 2. We will use 8 for communicating with K4 for the squeeze.
Cash A. 7 will remain in dummy as our threat card.
Ruff a . Cash a trump, throwing our .
Dummy now has 1 trump (squeeze card), 8, 7
We have J, K4.
Lead squeeze card. East has to keep Queen, so reduces himself to one other card.
We now throw Jack.
But there can't be a squeeze on West at this point.
OK. Time for a rethink. Let's work on a trump squeeze.
With a trump squeeze, everything changes, because now the squeeze card
becomes the A.
So, we ruff a low and cash 2 trumps. East must not discard a Heart, else we will
cross to hand, ruff a , cross back and the J is good. So he gets
squeezed out of the contest.
The problem is that we haven't really got any threat against West.
So, if they are asking "how did South make his contract?" I can believe that East
mistakenly threw a in the above scenario. But I don't believe that
this contract can be made against any defence.
Have you got a solution?
- Question 3
East has a choice of discards at trick 2, assuming it's a trump lead from dummy. How will you respond ?
- Answer 3
East has a choice of discards at trick 2, assuming it's a trump lead from dummy. How will you respond ?
Answer
Trick 1. South, 7; West, king hearts; North, 6 ; East, 3 .
Trick 2. North, jack spades; East, 10; South 3 ; West, 2 .
(If East discards a at trick 2, South does the same, and B then leads a at trick 3.)
Trick 3. North, 4; East, queen ; South ace ; West, 8 .
Trick 4. South, Ace; West, 9 ; North, 2 ; East, 6 .
Trick 5. South, 9; West, Jack ; North, 7 ; East, 10 .
Trick 6. North, 9.
(If East now discards the Queen of, South discards a ; if East discards a , South discards the Jack of . In the latter case West must either unguard s or throw away the winning , so that South makes all the remaining tricks.)
Hang on. . .if he DOES discard the winning, West will win one of the s, because South now has 2 diamonds having thrown the . . .. . .. Is there a solution against ANY defence ???