[ahydra]

From today's tournament. All are IMPs and spots are exact. These are puzzles for I/A players, experts use spoilers please.

#1 (easy)

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You might bid 2NT (upgrading to 18) not 3D, sure. Anyway, opps lead the H2 (4th best). You duck in hand hoping they'll continue hearts but no such luck: East switches to the D3 to the ten and king, and West continues another heart.

#2 (medium)

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OK, you may not want to reward partner for her aggressive raise to 3H, but all's well that ends well. Can it end well though? West leads DQ (standard leads), East playing the 3 (encouraging). If you duck West continues with DJ.

#3 (hard)

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Perhaps North might have picked 1NT, but instead landed you in this ghastly contract with mirrored pancakes (maple syrup optional). West leads the S8 (3rd/5th). If you cover with the T then East will play Q, otherwise 6. If you draw trumps then West has Qx.

ahydra

[ahydra]

Solutions:

Spoiler

1. With two hearts and two diamonds to lose, you need trumps to break 3-3, and you're in luck. The defence cash a heart when in with the DA, and return another heart. You ruff small perforce and draw the outstanding trumps with the D10. The rest of the hand is about maximising the chances of avoiding a spade loser. One can simply take the finesse, with the added chance that CQ drops. Better is to play two more rounds of trumps, and you see West encourage spades. Now knowing the finesse is (probably) offside, you envisage a squeeze - you have four cards left (♠AQ ♣AJ]) while West needs to keep five (♠Kx and ♣Qxx). A top defender would bare his SK in tempo, of course, giving you a guess. But most defenders would discard down to ♣Qx allowing you to score the ten and make the contract.

2. This one actually isn't as exciting as I first thought, sorry. Obviously you ruff two spades using a club as entry, then draw trumps by overtaking the second heart and hoping they split, which they do. The alternative for style points is to play West for ♦QJ exactly: draw trumps, duck a diamond, win West's non-diamond return, discard a diamond on the clubs and take a ruffing finesse against East, using a spade ruff as entry. With at least one spade ruff required there's no way to combine chances in case the hearts are 4-1.

3. With only 7 tricks you are going to need a lot of help from the defence so you can score both the CK and an extra trump. First step is to draw two top trumps and you find West started with Qx as mentioned. Spades are 5-2 based on the overcall and that overcall probably also places West with the CA. Hence you should look to endplay West rather than try the club finesse. After taking out the trumps, you play two more spades. West wins her jack and is rather stuck - she plays CA and another and the first endplay is complete.

A careful analysis at this point reveals that you need West to have 5422 shape with the HQ so that East can't ever get his club trick. Just play AK and another heart, and West, who started with QJxx, will find herself endplayed a second time on the third round, forced to give a ruff and discard. Away goes the club loser, and you just lose the high diamond to make the contract. Even if West holds Qxxx, it would take a fine defender to unblock the queen.

At the table I did not find #1, nor did team-mates find #2. I did find #3, though the opening lead was a small heart from the QJxx which made the line a lot more obvious.

ahydra