All You have to Do…by Dan Howe

Sarasota Journal – 11 Ene 1971

Frequently, when one reviews the lay-out of a hand with an impartial fellow played, one receives an over-optimistic appraisal along these lines: “Oh, that’s a cinch. All the declarer has to do is to finesse the queen of spades and the jack of hearts, end-play the left-hand opponent, and then work a double squeeze.” We showed the deal below similarly to a disinterested friend. “No problem at all, he: opined after five seconds perusal.

“All you have to do is guess the location of the queen of hearts and finesse twice against West.”

“There is a losing spade and a losing club besides the two diamond losers,” we pointed out. “If the third club in the closed hand is ruffed on the board, the heart finesse can’t be taken twice through East.”

“Oh,” he replied, only slightly taken aback. “Well, then there must be a squeeze against East.”

The facts of the case bear a little more investigation. First, here’s the deal:

South Dealer, N/S vulnerable

	K 8 7 4  A 9 7  10 6 5 2  7 3
Q J 10 2  5  8 3  Q J 9 5 4 2		9 3  Q 4 3 2  A K Q J 9  10 6
	A 6 5  K J 10 8 6  7 4  A K 8

As the play went in the actual game, West led diamonds, and Declarer ruffed the third round. Then, before touching any other suit, he took his ace and king of clubs and ruffed a club on the board, This last play allowed East to get rid of one of his two spades, and from that point on the contract was unmakable.

Careful analysis reveals that Declarer, after railing the third diamond, should cash his black ace-kings and now ruff the third club. Next, he should trump the last of dummy’s diamonds in his own hand. Finally, he should give up the third round of spades.

By this time, Declarer is down to the king-jack-ten of hearts alone, and dummy’s last three cards are the ace-nine of hearts and a spade. One of the opponents is quite likely to have to help Declarer.

If the spades break 3-3, who-ever takes the third spade will have to provide Declarer with a free finesse in trumps. As the cards lie, East would probably shed a diamond on the third round of clubs. Hence, having bared down to his four hearts, he would be forced to ruff the third spade and afterward face the ignominy of leading away from his heart queen to give Declarer the last three tricks and his contract.

The moral: Don’t trust any-body’s off-the cuff opinion on the play of a difficult contract. Particularly if they weren’t there as you were.

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