Trump Squeeze by Fulvio Fantoni

Source: Fulvio Fantoni Official Site

While we are in Monaco at the Mexican restaurant, our friend Claudio Longa puts the fork down and starts writing cards on the placemat, telling me: “Could you please explain me about a 4 you made? I was watching you on BBO Vugraph during a match of French Division Nationale 1. You were holding AKJxx, J10xx…”

In effect that was a very interesting board.

Here it is:
Cards are rotated in order to simplify reading.

2 = 4+
2SA = Relais
3 = 5431 or 5413 min.

So I found myself into this 4.
West lead the A, East discarding the J.
West then cashed the K, East discarding the 3.
West returned a Diamond.
Ruffing with a low card is inadmissible: according to the bidding (West’s double on 2) and to East’s discards (J and then the 3) the overruff is almost a certainty. So I ruff with the Q, East discarding Hearts.

This is the situation now:

To avoid losing 4 tricks, Spades must break 3-2 (in principle if Spades are breaking 4-1 with 9 or 10 singleton in West and Qx or Qxx in West 4 could still be made).

Granted that, how to make 10 tricks? Click here to continue reading.