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‘The excess cripples’ is a famous italian proverb. This is title we have chosen for the new quiz. As usual, we’ll publish the solution illustrated by Silvio Sbarigia into few days: have fun and mind the title!

Silvio Sbarigia’s quiz 9^th

“The excess cripples”

North (dummy): ♠K3 ♥A96 ♦8754 ♣8532

South (declarer): ♠AQ10765 ♥5 ♦AKQ ♣AK9

Contract: 6♠. West has overcalled 2♥ and leads ♥K.

Make your playing plan.

Solution.

The title of this quiz is an Italian proverb. What have we in excess, here? Sure the tricks aren’t, we have twelve, right enough; but if trump break is 4-1, we have a scarcity of tricks (only eleven), and an excess of trumps in declarer’s hand.

We haven’t communications toward the dummy, then the only hope – if the trumps are 4-1 – is to endplay someone, forcing him to lead under J-9 or toward it. Before to concede the endplaying trick we must strip ourselves of any card in excess. Our hope is to find East with a 4-3-3-3 or a 4-3-4-2: if it is, we win against 4-1; if not, none can win.

Win the lead by ♥A, continue heart and ruff, play spade ace and spade for the king – West discards, in facts: never a reasonable break! Ruff another heart: this complete our trump shortening, we have now the same length as East. Now play the three diamond heads and the three clubs: if West wins the third club, we’ll finesse East’s J-9 by ruff; if East take that, is endplayed as we have worked for.