6th March 2019

A deal from a Cheadle Hulme Club Duplicate last month.
Dealer E E-W vulnerable.

S K652
H 1052
D AK6
C AJ7
   


   
S AQ7
H A6
D Q543
C KQ43

South
West
North
East



3H
3NT
Pass
Pass Pass

After East pre-empted with three hearts you overcall three notrump to end a simple auction.  North should raise to four notrump as a quantitative slam try as South's range for the three notrump bid is very wide.

West leads the heart four to East's jack.  How do you play to maximise the number of tricks?

Solution

You have eleven top tricks and a three-three break in spades or diamonds will give you twelve tricks.  In the event of a three-three break in both suits you could make thirteen tricks, but that would mean that East's distribution would be 3730 exactly, which would be highly unlikely.  If neither pointed suit breaks and West has length in both suits you can squeeze West for a twelfth trick so long as the count is rectified.  To do that you must lose a trick and the only way to do that is to lose the first trick.  After winning the second heart you play four rounds of clubs to reach the following end position.

Dealer East
S
K652
   
E-W Vul
H
10
   
    D AK6
   
    C
   
S
10984
    S
J3
H

    H
K987
D
10872
    D
J9
C

    C

    S
AQ7
   
    H

   
    D
Q543
   
    C
K
   

When the king of clubs is played West is squeezed out of a spade or diamond guard.
This hand was played by Alan Jones who made twelve tricks in the above fashion.

Surprisingly both six diamonds and six spades make despite seeming to have a trump and a heart to lose.
After a heart lead declarer draws three rounds of trumps, then cashes four rounds of clubs and the three top tricks in the other suit, then trumps the final card in the non-trump suit, leaving West with a trump winner and East with a heart trick both for trick thirteen.