At Sixes and Sevens

[lamford]

[hv=pc=n&s=s76543h432da2ca32&n=sakqhak5dkqjtcjt8&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=2h(3-9%20six%20hearts)ppdp3sp6sppp]266|200[/hv]

This is a fairly well-known hand, solved by Michael Rosenberg on the way to his fine win in the World Par Contest in 1998. If you don't know it, you may enjoy solving it. West leads the six of hearts and East will show out on the second round of trumps, of course, but you don't know that in advance.

 

I quickly established that the missing two of spades was a black herring, and irrelevant, but the third club intrigued me. Parts two and three are: How would you play if the third club was the seven, and how would you play if the third club was the six? If you ask EW, they will tell you that 2H is 3-9, always a six-card suit.

 

"Lat nat this wrechched wo thyn herte gnawe, But manly set the world on sexe and seuene."

 

[Also on Bridgewinners, as some do not read both]

[Cyberyeti]

Clearly the layout I visualised is not the one there as the third club can be anything for my solution (E has x, QJ10xxx, xxxx, KQ).

 

I think you can do this if he has 3 diamonds and 3 clubs and again the third club is irrelevant.

 

Cash 3 spades, club A and 4 diamonds pitching clubs leaving

 

[hv=pc=n&s=s76h43dc&w=sthdc954&n=shk5dcjt&e=shqjdckq]399|300[/hv]

 

Now ruff a club and lead a heart, either W ruffs a loser and you're good or he pitches a club and you win K♥ ruff a club and you have 12 tricks with W ruffing your losing heart at trick 13.

[lamford]

Clearly the layout I visualised is not the one there as the third club can be anything for my solution (E has x, QJ10xxx, xxxx, KQ).

I don't think there is much problem when the diamonds are 4-3 either way. You can arrange to score the second heart, and ruff a couple of clubs. Of course, they won't be ...

[nige1]

[hv=pc=n&b=1&d=e&v=0&w=SJT98H6D9876543CK&s=S76543h432da2ca32&n=sakqhak5dkqjtcjt8&a=2h(3-9 HCP 6!H)ppdp3sp6sppp&p=H6HAHQH2SQS2S3S8SKH7S4S9DT]300|300| Lamford 'This is a fairly well-known hand, solved by Michael Rosenberg on the way to his fine win in the World Par Contest in 1998. If you don't know it, you may enjoy solving it. West leads the six of hearts and East will show out on the second round of trumps, of course, but you don't know that in advance. I quickly established that the missing two of spades was a black herring, and irrelevant, but the third club intrigued me. Parts two and three are: How would you play if the third club was the seven, and how would you play if the third club was the six? If you ask EW, they will tell you that 2H is 3-9, always a six-card suit.[Also on Bridgewinners, as some do not read both]'

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Well spotted, Paul. Win ♥A. Cash ♠AK, discovering the 4-1 trump break. Cash ♦AKQ.

1. If East is void in ♦, West is 4171 and your best hope is that he has a singleton ♣ honour. Cash ♣A, cross to ♠A. Cash ♦J, Ruff-finesse ♣J.[/hv][hv=pc=n&b-2&d=e&v=0&w=SJT98H6D987654C97&s=S76543h432da2ca32&n=sakqhak5dkqjtcjt8&a=2h(3-9 HCP )ppdp3sp6sppp&p=H6HAHQH2SQS2S3S8SKH7S4S9DT]300|300|

2. If East has a singleton ♦, then you need his doubleton ♣ to include ♣9. Advance ♣J (covered by ♣Q and ♣A,

Cross to ♠A Cash ♦J, Lead ♣T pinning ♣9.[/hv][hv=pc=n&b=4&d=e&v=0&w=SJT98H6D9876CK976&s=S76543h432da2ca32&n=sakqhak5dkqjtcjt8&a=2h(3-9 HCP )ppdp3sp6sppp&p=H6HAHQH2SQS2S3S8SKH7S4S9DT]300|300|

3. If East has 2 or 3♦s, then you can ruff 2 ♣s, with impunity.

Cash ♣A, Cross to ♠A. Discard a ♣ on ♦J, Ruff a ♣, Lead a ♥ towards dummy.[/hv][hv=pc=n&b=3&d=e&v=0&w=SJT98H6D987C97654&s=S76543h432da2ca32&n=sakqhak5dkqjtcjt8&a=2h(3-9 HCP )ppdp3sp6sppp&p=H6HAHQH2SQS2S3S8SKH7S4S9DT]300|300|

4. If East has 4♦s, then you need him to have doubleton ♣KQ. Cash ♣A cross to ♠A. Discard a ♣ on ♦A. Ruff a ♣..

(Double-dummy) :).[/hv]

Lat nat this wretched wo thyn herte gnawe,

But manly set the world on sexe and seuene.

[Cyberyeti]

The hole I see in Nigel's analysis is that if W is 4153 then when you lead the heart towards dummy he pitches a club and overruffs the 3rd club, I couldn't see a way around that unless he had KQx.

 

Also not sure how you do it if he's 4126.

[nige1]

[hv=pc=n&b=5&d=e&v=0&w=SJT98H6D98765CKQ7&s=S76543h432da2ca32&n=sakqhak5dkqjtcjt8&a=2h(3-9 HCP )ppdp3sp6sppp&p=H6HAHQH2SQS2S3S8SKH7S4S9DT]300|300| Cyberyeti 'The hole I see in Nigel's analysis is that if W is 4153 then when you lead the heart towards dummy he pitches a club and overruffs the 3rd club, I couldn't see a way around that unless he had KQx. Also not sure how you do it if he's 4126.

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I don't know how to make when West is 4126 :( Also, unless defenders signal religiously, it isn't clear how you would know to play East for 4 ♦s .:(

CyberYeti is also right about the case when East has 2♦s, .Then you might make by drawing only 1 round of trumps. But failing to test trumps means you can be defeated by a ruff when they are 3-2 :(

5. As CyberYeti suggests, you can hope that West has 2 ♣ honours as here (when he can't afford to discard a♣).

[/hv][hv=pc=n&b=6&d=e&v=0&w=SJT98H6D98765C975&s=S76543h432da2ca32&n=sakqhak5dkqjtcjt8&a=2h(3-9 HCP )ppdp3sp6sppp&p=H6HAHQH2SQS2S3S8SKH7S4S9DT]300|300|

6. Alternatively, and slightly better, is to hope West has ♣9xx :) After 2 rounds of ♠ and 3 of ♦. lead ♣J covered by ♣K and ♣A.

Cross to ♠A, Cash ♦J and lead ♣T covered and ruffed. Now a ♥ towards dummy squeezes West in ♣s and trumps![/hv]

[Cyberyeti]

YOur second option looks better as with ♣KQx and a trump trick I know what I'm leading and it ain't a heart

[lamford]

YOur second option looks better as with ♣KQx and a trump trick I know what I'm leading and it ain't a heart

If you do lead the king of clubs, then declarer has no problem. He simply plays two rounds of trumps and four rounds of diamonds pitching clubs, and then squeezes you out of your fifth diamond, the queen of clubs and a trump. I don't think it is a backwash squeeze. It seems that it was Ottlik calls a one-card squeeze.

 

And partner will be there with "Did you not see the 2H bid, partner?"

[Cyberyeti]

If you do lead the king of clubs, then declarer has no problem. He simply plays two rounds of trumps and four rounds of diamonds pitching clubs, and then squeezes you out of your fifth diamond, the queen of clubs and a trump. I don't think it is a backwash squeeze. It seems that it was Ottlik calls a one-card squeeze.

 

And partner will be there with "Did you not see the 2H bid, partner?"

 

Heart lead does no better double dummy

[lamford]

Heart lead does no better double dummy

But it will do better single dummy when declarer, not being a self-kibitzer, plays you for 9xx of clubs (6 cases) rather than KQx or KQ9 (5 cases)

[nige1]

I don't think there is much problem when the diamonds are 4-3 either way. You can arrange to score the second heart, and ruff a couple of clubs. Of course, they won't be ...

Intrigued :) What single-dummy line by South succeeds when West has 3 ♦s? :)