Problems for 2/06/08

Problem 1 - Difficulty: **
IMPs, NS Vul
Dealer: E

	A87 A987 K762 98
	872 KQJT43 A4 KT

East	South	West	North
3	4	All Pass

You make a pretty questionable overcall of 4 and are glad to find a monster dummy. West leads the J. Plan the play.

Edit: I just noticed the spade spots are messed up. Assume they're all random small cards.

Solution:

West probably has the A, but making 4 here only depends on finding East with three or fewer diamonds, more or less; this is very likely given his preempt. Note that West is almost certainly void in spades, since if he had any number of spades, that lead would be preferable to the J. Win the A in hand (you're not making this is if East ruffs at T1). Lead a high trump from hand; assume both follow (if hearts are 3-0, you will still play approximately this way). Play a heart to dummy, play the K, and ruff a diamond.

Now lead to the A to reach this position in dummy:

	87 A7 2 98
	82 QJ3 KT

Now lead a diamond, and if West has the long diamond, discard a spade. West, with only minor suit cards left, is endplayed into giving you your tenth trick.

	973 62 AK2 T9653
	AKQJ4 KT54 Q6 A4

West	North	East	South
1	Pass	Pass	Dbl
Pass	2	Pass	2
Pass	4	All Pass

West leads the J, and when you play low from dummy, E plays the 7, giving count (even). All follow when you cash the A, but W shows out when you cash the K, discarding a small heart. Plan the play.

Solution:

West's most likely shape is something like 1543. You would like to endplay West somehow, but at a glance, this seems to depend on his holding KQJ and the AQJ; this is unlikely, as he would have led clubs.

Draw four rounds of trumps. West must keep three hearts, or you can establish a heart by force. This leaves him with 3 hearts and 5 minor cards. It is impossible for him to have KQJ, but he probably has two of the top three honors. Still, you have some work to do.

If he keeps three hearts and three clubs, ace and aother club will be ducked to East, who can put a heart through. West, who still has an exit card, cannot be endplayed. There is a magic trick, though...

Cash the A, and play off the diamonds, discarding the 4 from hand. You are in dummy when this is the hand:

	62 T96
AQJ KJ		97 8 Q7
	4 KT54

When you lead the T from dummy, East has no answer. If he plays low, you can discard a heart as West wins. You can ruff the club exit, but then you will have KT5 against West's AQJ, and he will have to give up a heart for your tenth trick. If East covers the T, you ruff and exit with the T to endplay him as well.

If West kept only two clubs after drawing the trumps, you can play A and another club; West must win, or else you can establish the clubs. Now win the diamond return and ruff a club before exiting with the T. After taking two hearts, West must either surrender to your K5 in hand or dummy's A and T.