Solution to The Percentage Line- December/January 1998

Solution to The Percentage Line December/January 1998

Vul: Both
Dlr: You
Scoring: Matchpoints

PARD (dummy)

A K 9 2

9 4

Q J 6 5 4

5 2

As soon as you view the dummy and see righty show up with the

A, you silently wish that partner had passed 2

Doubled, because on a heart lead and continuation you will certainly score one heart trick, four spades and three minorsuit winners for down 3 and +800. Your second thoughts should return you to the task at hand.

It sure looks like lefty didn't have his bid. Righty has already shown up with the A which doesn't leave lefty with all that much. At most tables, lefty probably won't find the cuebid, and the normal spot will still be 3NT.

With no outside information, most declarers will finesse in diamonds. If lefty holds the K, declarer will end up with 8 tricks; if diamonds are 3-1 (or worse) with the king onside, declarer will end up with 9 (maybe 10) tricks; and if diamonds are 2-2 with the king onside, declarer will end up with 10 tricks.

Contract: 3NT
Opening Lead:

YOU

Q 3

K 10 8

A 7 3 2

A K Q 8

It is almost a sure thing that lefty holds the

K to be able to bid. There is a line of play (a stripsqueeze) which will allow you to make the hand any time lefty was dealt the

K, and you will make 9 tricks (or possibly 11!), which will beat the pairs taking the losing finesse. Note that this line will not be available to the other declarers in the field, because they probably won't have the information available from the Michael's cuebid.

There are even on some distributions when righty turns out to have the K, when you might be able to recover and still tie the field. Accordingly, you execute the stripsqueeze as follows.

After winning the third heart to cut communications, cash the

A. If the

K drops, claim 11 tricks (crushing the field). If lefty showed out, then establish a diamond by force, and squeeze righty in the minors for your tenth trick. If righty showed out (unlikely), then the stripsqueeze is now 100%.

Next, cash two top clubs. If lefty followed to both, he cannot have another diamond, so establish a diamond by force and claim 9 tricks. If lefty showed out on either club, then you must follow through with playing him for the K. Changing your mind would mean a bad matchpoint score, even if righty had the K.

Putting conviction into practise, you cash your last club (see position at right). Lefty can't afford a spade or a diamond, so he must let a heart winner go. Now you can safely lead diamonds to lefty, who can (at best) cash his long heart before conceding.

Well done!

PARD (dummy)

A K 9 2

Q J 6

LEFTY

J 10 8 7

7 5

YOU

Q 3

7 3 2

Q 8

This was a very tricky problem. An extra special congratulations to this month's winners!

This Month's Winners

Larry Meyer (Vancouver, British Columbia)
Doug McAvoy (Dundas, Ontario)

Doug notes (correctly) that no matter how you execute the stripsqueeze, if lefty started with a stiff club, then you will always be unsure whether lefty started with 6-5-1-1 or 5-5-2-1 distribution.

All submissions were correct this month, so there are no honourable mentions.

I must remark, however, that I noticed a lot of people in Vancouver discussing this hand, who did not send their (correct) solutions. Hopefully, you will be less shy next month.

The Percentage Line - a quiz show by Brad Bart.
Please send your comments to bbart@cs.sfu.ca