leggi in italiano »

Here is a new quiz by Silvio Sbarigia. As usual we will publish the solution into few days. In the meanwhile … Have fun! 

Silvio Sbarigia’s quiz 13th:

North (dummy): ♠765 ♥J1094 ♦AKJ5 ♣Q3

South (declarer): ♠Q1092 ♥AKQ85 ♦863 ♣A

 

E-W vulnerable. The contract is 4♥. In the auction, South has opened 1♥ and West has doubled.

West leads ♠A, then ♠K and spade. East ruffs the third spade and play hearts. (West has heart singleton.)

 

 

Solution.

The double by West marks him as ♣K holder. All we need, then, is do not consent that West get rid of it: this will allow us to count the hide hands.

Take the East’s return, ruff the spade queen (it’s winning but doesn’t gain trick), then clean opponents’ hearts and draw the diamond ace: no queens fall. Play club to ace: two deuces glide over the table. Run the other two hearts, throwing the ♣Q’s on the last one – not before! and you land in this final:

North (dummy): ♠— ♥— ♦KJ ♣—

South (on lead): ♠— ♥— ♦86 ♣—

Simple, isn’t it? You should know which cards are still on, but not even needs the count: play a diamond and draw ♦K whatever West discards. If West follows, he has only one diamond – the other card is the ♣K: that’s the reason you have compelled him to hold on it – then you haven’t any doubt: East has either ♦Q and ♣x, and the contract is made, or he has ♦Qx and nobody can make.

The core in this quiz is: West, forced to hold a known card, couldn’t conceal his hand.

A note needs. An expert player could try a left side diamond-club squeeze with club unbloking (a Vienna coup); luckily for him, it wins even if West isn’t squeezed. We have to estimate the expert because he has studied; this notwithstanding, we shouldn’t overlook the simpler ways; if this happens, something of the studies has slipped by.

The American Clyde E. Love (? – 1960), author of “Bridge Squeeze complete” (1951), wrote there:

“It may be that the master players are superior to us common mortal, not so much because they know more bridge as because they use the bridge they know”.

Print Friendly

Related posts:

  1. Silvio Sbarigia’s quiz – #14 – Accuracy and Timing (see the solution!)leer en español »                               read italian version» Silvio Sbarigia is a pharmacist; he was born in Rome and lives there. He has won the European championship in 1975, runner up at 1974’s and at Olympic games of 1976. His bridge...
  2. Silvio Sbarigia’s Quiz 17th – Journey into a squeezeleggi in italiano» “A squeeze!” The expert exclaims smiling. “A squeeze?” Gasps the intermediate player out, turning the page. Come on, brother! Let’s walk hand in hand into the machinery. We aren’t going to learn it today, just we’ll see...
  3. Silvio Sbarigia’s quiz /#6 – The rich merchantleggi articolo in italiano » This is a new Sbarigia’s quiz called ‘The rich merchant’. Make your playing plan. As usual, into few days, we will publish the solution illustred by Silvio. Have fun!   North (dummy): ♠AJxx ♥A10xx ♦Jx ♣Q10x...
  4. Sbarigia’s quiz # 10 – Instinctsleggi articolo in italiano » Here is the Sbarigia’s quiz number 10!  As usual, the solution will be published into a few days. In the meanwhile  have fun and … mind the title!   Silvio Sbarigia’s quiz 10th. Instincts. North (dummy): ♠A ♥QJ653...
  5. Silvio Sbarigia’s Quiz 16th: “Italian taxes” (solution)leggi in italiano » Silvio Sbarigia is a pharmacist; he was born in Rome and lives there. He has won the European championship in 1975, runner up at 1974’s and at Olympic games of 1976. His bridge problems aren’t difficult; just...
  6. Silvio Sbarigia’s quiz # 18th: Farewell, Elizabeth!leggi in italiano » In the movie “Last time I saw Paris” (by Richard Brooks, 1954), Elizabeth Taylor betrays the husband, Van Johnson, which becomes alcoholic. Repented, a night she comes back at home; he sure would forgive her, he...
  7. Silvio Sbarigia’s Quiz / # 5 – The Twinsleggi articolo in italiano » We have christened this quiz “The Twins” because in both deals (A and B), we have the same shape, the same contract and leading, and the same problem: we count nine winning tricks; the 10th...
  8. Silvio Sbarigia’s quiz 22th: Depthleggi in italiano » Silvio Sbarigia is a pharmacist; he was born in Rome and lives there. He has won the European championship in 1975 with legendary Blue Team, runner up at 1974’s and at Olympic games of 1976. His bridge...
  9. Silvio Sbarigia’s quiz 21th: Holding the rockleggi in italiano » Silvio Sbarigia is a pharmacist; he was born in Rome and lives there. He has won the European championship in 1975, runner up at 1974’s and at Olympic games of 1976. His bridge problems aren’t difficult; just...
  10. Silvio Sbarigia’s Quiz 20th: “Freedom of Hills”leggi in italiano » Silvio Sbarigia is a pharmacist; he was born in Rome and lives there. He has won the European championship in 1975, runner up at 1974’s and at Olympic games of 1976. His bridge problems aren’t difficult; just...