Can you make an overtrick?

[KurtGodel]

A fun hand I played: [hv=pc=n&s=skj9ha94dkj65ckt6&n=s8752hkqt62daq82c&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=p1n(15-17)p2c(Stayman)p2dp3s(Smolen)p4hppp]266|200[/hv]

LHO leads A♠ and plays a spade to the queen and king. You play a trump to the king and a trump to the ace, RHO pitching a club. 5 trumps, 2 spades and 4 diamonds makes eleven tricks, you've made your contract - great. Can you make a twelfth?

 

Solution:

 

If West holds the ace of clubs he will be caught in a trump squeeze. You will reach this ending, lead the king of diamonds and East is caught:

N: ♠87 ♥6 ♦8 ♣-

 

E:

♠

T6

♥

-

♦

-

♣

AQ

S: ♠J ♥- ♦K ♣KT

If you've never seen a position like this before, it's worth noting that in the straightforward edition you need one of the suits to be blocked. There are other trump squeezes where you can threaten to ruff good two suits where neither one is blocked. Most trump squeezes require some card reading, but it was clear from the lead how spades broke.

 

 

Edited May 25, 2015 by diana_eva
Moved as requested