[nige1]

Yesterday, on Bridgez.com, there was a deal like this, which I've slightly embellished
7N by South on a ♥ lead

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Similar theme.
7N by South on a ♠ lead.

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Against South's 6N,
LHO leads ♥K won by dummy's ♥A while RHO follows with ♥9.
After this start, declarer can make on any subsequent defence.
How must declarer play?
What are the defenders' hands?


Hint

Spoiler

LHO all honours

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[gszes]

someone has been having fun reading up on Commander Pawle's book of tricks:)))))

[nige1]

Composed for Elena Jeronimidis BridgePlus magazine.
Andrew Robson republished it in the Times.
For completeness, here is the solution.
Please keep pressing Next for play and explanation.

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[Tramticket]

Hi Nigel,

I am not sure that the diagram is quite working (or I am being stupid). Surely west can throw a diamond at trick 11 and east can exit in diamonds at trick 12?

Or have I missed something?

[661_Pete]

Hello.

For the first board above, it goes like this.

South wins the opening lead with the A in dummy, dropping the K, then plays ♥QJ, discarding ♦AK from hand. Then play ♦QJ10 from dummy, discarding ♠AKQ. Then ♠J109 from dummy.

Just before ♠9, West has this:
♠ -
♥ 9
♦ 9
♣ QJ10

Simple squeeze. If W throws a ♥, N can cash two ♥ and two ♣. If W throws a ♣, South's four ♣. If W throws a ♦, N plays ♦2 to continue the squeeze.

I didn't cheat! I've figured it out for myself. Now if only I pull something like this off in actual play!

[nige1]

Tramticket, on 2019-February-19, 02:25, said:

I am not sure that the diagram is quite working (or I am being stupid). Surely west can throw a diamond at trick 11 and east can exit in diamonds at trick 12? Or have I missed something?

If East keeps ♦x ♣8xx then declarer cashes ♣9 and exits with ♣7.
The losing ♣ squeezes West again. Dummy keeps the red suit that West abandons.
Hence, after winning ♣8, East is endplayed, because both dummy and declarer's hand are high.

[nige1]

[

A variant of the 2nd problem, composed for Bridge World, was something like this.
South to make 7NT on a ♠ lead.

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[Tramticket]

nige1, on 2019-February-19, 04:33, said:

If East keeps ♦x ♣8xx then declarer cashes ♣9 and exits with ♣7.
The losing ♣ squeezes West again. Dummy keeps the red suit that West abandons.
Hence, when RHO wins ♣8, he is endplayed, because both dummy and declarer's hand are high.

You have reduced to:

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In this trick 11 position, you are showing west discarding a heart and agree that both dummy and declarer's hands are high.

But on the ♣7, West can throw ♦Q and East wins with the eight and exits in diamonds. West will take the last trick with the ♥Q.

[661_Pete]

nige1, on 2019-February-19, 05:16, said:

[

A variant of the 2nd problem, composed for Bridge World, was something like this.
South to make 7NT on a ♠ lead.

---

I think the start is fairly straightforward. S overtakes the K♠ with the A and cashes all the spades, throwing clubs plus A♥. Then K♥ throwing a club. Five cards left:
North:
♠ -
♥ -
♦ A
♣ AK98
South:
♠ -
♥ Q6
♦ K87
♣ -

What happens when S plays the Q♥ depends on what E has kept. Suppose he's abandoned the hearts and is left with:
♠ -
♥ -
♦ QJ
♣ QJ10

Then S throws another club and watches E's discard. If a diamond, S cashes 6♥ throwing A♦ and cashes three diamonds. If E throws a club, S throws a club on 6♥ and dummy is high.

But if E has kept two hearts (no point in keeping one), he cannot have kept two diamonds and three clubs. S makes the same discard but on Q♥ this time.

[nige1]

Tramticket, on 2019-February-19, 06:08, said:

You have reduced to:

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In this trick 11 position, you are showing west discarding a heart and agree that both dummy and declarer's hands are high.
But on the ♣7, West can throw ♦Q and East wins with the eight and exits in diamonds. West will take the last trick with the ♥Q.

Sorry, Tramticket, you are quite right,
I made a mistake in the solution above,
(It's quite hard to ensure that every trick is correct,
especially when your sight is poor)
When declarer leads ♣7, dummy should comprise ♥x and ♦A9.
Now the claim thatt "West is squeezed again" becomes correct..
Dummy keeps the suit that West abandons
I've corrected my solution above to reflect your criticism
Thank you,

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[nige1]

661_Pete, on 2019-February-19, 06:42, said:

I think the start is fairly straightforward. S overtakes the K♠ with the A and cashes all the spades, throwing clubs plus A♥. Then K♥ throwing a club. Five cards left:
North:
♠ -
♥ -
♦ A
♣ AK98
South:
♠ -
♥ Q6
♦ K87
♣ -

What happens when S plays the Q♥ depends on what E has kept. Suppose he's abandoned the hearts and is left with:
♠ -
♥ -
♦ QJ
♣ QJ10

Then S throws another club and watches E's discard. If a diamond, S cashes 6♥ throwing A♦ and cashes three diamonds. If E throws a club, S throws a club on 6♥ and dummy is high.

But if E has kept two hearts (no point in keeping one), he cannot have kept two diamonds and three clubs. S makes the same discard but on Q♥ this time.

661_Pete has the correct idea and his ending is nearly right but
declarer must wait to jettison of a red ace
until after East has committed himself.
For example, In his suggested ending,
East can defeat the contract by keeping ♥JT ♣QJT

The solution is for declarer to delay the discard of the appropriate red ace,
until his last ♠,
As 661_Pete points out, If East abandons ♥ and
obstinately hangs onto his ♣s, then,
on declarer's last ♥, declarer jettisons dummy's ♦A..

[Tramticket]

nige1, on 2019-February-19, 08:40, said:

Sorry, Tramticket, you are quite right,

Thank you. I see it now. (I was beginning to think that I was mad!)

Thank you for the trouble taken on this - it really is very elegant.

[661_Pete]

nige1, on 2019-February-19, 09:26, said:

661_Pete has the correct idea and his ending is nearly right but
declarer must wait to jettison of a red ace
until after East has committed himself.
For example, In his suggested ending,
East can defeat the contract by keeping ♥JT ♣QJT

The solution is for declarer to delay the discard of the appropriate red ace,
until his last ♠,
As 661_Pete points out, If East abandons ♥ and
obstinately hangs onto his ♣s, then,
on declarer's last ♥, declarer jettisons dummy's ♦A..

Thanks. I was already thinking, after I'd posted above, that I hadn't quite covered every eventuality. And I don't claim any skills at DD problem-solving!

Certainly a very difficult and complex squeeze! Surely even a world-class player would have a hard time bringing that off in actual play! (though I suppose the Hideous Hog might...)

[nige1]

661_Pete, on 2019-February-20, 03:27, said:

Surely even a world-class player would have a hard time bringing that off in actual play! (though I suppose the Hideous Hog might...)

IMO...

• A good player would solve the 1st problem, in ordinary play, at the table.
• A player would solve the 2nd problem, only at double-dummy. At the table, one would play for a 2-1 ♣ break.
• A good player might solve the 3rd problem, single-dummy, but it's hard and would take one some time.