| Locating a queen...? ** |
| Monday, 01 February 2010 07:00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 Splinter: singleton or void in clubs, good spade fit, slam invitational West leads the ♥A (East the ♥10), continues with the ♥K (East ♥7) and then plays the ♥J. Solution Declarer has lost two heart tricks and is in danger of losing a trick to the ♠K now, despite having twelve spades in the combined hands. After all, East is out of hearts and if he has the ♠K, that card is now promoted. After losing a trick to the ♠K, declarer may subsequently also lose a trick to the ♦Q.
Declarer ruffs with the ♠A. He is now certain to lose a trick to the ♠K but equally certain not to lose a trick to the ♦Q: he cashes the ♣A, ruffs the ♣J and exits with a trump. Whoever wins with the ♠K has to play a diamond (allowing declarer a free finesse) or give declarer a ruff and discard in clubs, in which the diamond loser disappears from one of the hands. |
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