Diamonds are for children

[pilowsky]

Having been assured that my bidding needed a bit of work I created a few hands for practice. Number three absolutely stumped me.

The robots guided me gently up to 7♦. I was feeling pretty smug. Hours later I was feeling a bit less smug.

Here's the deal: make 13 tricks on any lead! But West leads the ♣Q.

After getting nowhere for several hours despite double-dummy and bridge-solver saying it was makeable, I left the seat and gave it to GIB who also failed to make it.

It took me another hour to figure it out. Enjoy.

[hv=pc=n&s=sahj532daq742ca53&w=st6hk764dj6cqjt87&n=sq9843haq9dkt3ck6&e=skj752ht8d985c942&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=1dp1sp2hp3dp3np4np5cp5hp7dppp]399|300[/hv]

[Cyberyeti]

OK, the key is to play off the ♠A, go back to dummy and table the Q♠ pinning the 10 and allowing you to take the ruffing finesse against the J with the 98 later. You also pin the ♥10.

 

It's a terrible contract but yes you can make it.

[doccdl]

OK, the key is to play off the ♠A, go back to dummy and table the Q♠ pinning the 10 and allowing you to take the ruffing finesse against the J with the 98 later. You also pin the ♥10.

 

It's a terrible contract but yes you can make it.

Nicely done.

[gszes]

SIGH I HATE these "logic" problems where the answer has nothing to do with how to play the hand single dummy BUT here goes:

 

CYBERYETI is indeed on the right track but I also think the devil is in the details.

 

Trick 1 win the club in hand

trick 2 unlock the spade ace

trick 3 lead the heart J (key play) and now the LOP diverges depending on If the J is covered or not.

 

IF THE HEART J IS NOT COVERED

trick 4 club to the K

-----IF THE SPADE Q AND THE SPADE 9 ARE COVERED

trick 5 spade Q ruff small

trick 6 ruff a club

trick 7/8 pull 2 rounds of trump ending in dummy

trick 9 spade 9 ruff

trick 10 pull last trump (pitch losing spade)

trick 11 finesse heart

trick 12 cash heart

trick 13 cash top spade

-----IF THE SPADE Q IS NOT COVERED

trick 5 pitch a heart

trick 6 trump to hand

trick 7 ruff a club

trick 8 cash top trump in dummy

trick 9 ruff a spade

trick 10 pull last trump (pitch last spade)

trick 11 take heart finesse and claim 2 hearts and a trump

 

-----IF THE SPADE Q IS COVERED BUT NOT THE SPADE 9

trick 9 pitch losing heart

trick 10 ruff a spade

trick 11 pull last trump

trick 12 take heart finesse

trick 13 claim

----------------------------------------------------------

 

IF THE HEART J IS COVERED

trick 4 spade Q (rho must cover as above) ruff small

trick 5 top dia in hand

trick 6 small dia to dummy

trick 7 spade 9

IF RHO COVERS THE SPADE 9

trick 7 ruff small

trick 8 club to K

trick 9 ruff the small spade with last trump

trick 10 heart to Q

trick 11 pull last trump

trick 12 cash good heart

trick 13 cash spade 8

 

IF RHO DUCKS THE SPADE 9

trick 7 pitch losing heart

trick 8 ruff a spade

trick 9 club to K

trick 10 ruff last spade

trick 11 heart to Q

trick 12 pull last trump

trick 13 cash last heart

 

I HATE these types of problems and, whatever you do, do NOT try to learn bidding by copying the bots

[Cyberyeti]

I HATE these types of problems and, whatever you do, do NOT try to learn bidding by copying the bots

 

The reverse is utterly revolting before we start on anything else.

[nige1]

[hv=pc=n&s=sahj532daq742ca53&w=st6hk764dj6cqjt87&n=sq9843haq9dkt3ck6&e=skj752ht8d985c942&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=1dp1sp2hp3dp3np4np5cp5hp7dppp]399|300| Pilowsky "Having been assured that my bidding needed a bit of work I created a few hands for practice. Number three absolutely stumped me. The robots guided me gently up to 7♦. I was feeling pretty smug. Hours later I was feeling a bit less smug. Here's the deal: make 13 tricks on any lead! But West leads the ♣Q. After getting nowhere for several hours despite double-dummy and bridge-solver saying it was makeable, I left the seat and gave it to GIB who also failed to make it. It took me another hour to figure it out. Enjoy."

++++++++++++++++++++

Thank you Pilowsky :) Your bidding might still need a bit of work :) e.g. CyberYeti seems right that your 2♥ reverse is a slight overbid :) CyberYeti also found a successful double-dummy line: ♣A, ♦Q, ♦K, ♠A, ♣K, ♠Q (East must cover) ruff, ♣ ruff, ♠9 (East must cover) ruff, ♦A discarding the small ♠, ♥J. On the next trick, when ♥T drops, dummy is high, so claim.

Another triumph for self-kibitzing :) [/hv]