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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 could come from a 3-3 hearts break or ruffing one in dummy. Let’s see how the different trump quality will drive us in different playing plans.
Silvio Sbarigia’s 5th quiz: The Twins.
Deal A) Dummy: ♠Axx ♥xxx ♦xxx ♣Axxx
Declarer: ♠KQJ10x ♥AKxx ♦xx ♣Kx
Contract: 4♠. Lead: small club. Make you plan.
Deal B) Dummy: ♠Axx ♥xxx ♦xxx ♣Axxx
Declarer: ♠Kxxxx ♥AKxx ♦Ax ♣Kx
Contract: 4♠. Lead: small club. Make your plan.
Silvio Sbarigia’s 5th quiz: The Twins. Solutions.
A) Dummy: ♠Axx ♥xxx ♦xxx ♣Axxx
Declarer: ♠KQJ10x ♥AKxx ♦xx ♣Kx
Contract: 4♠. Lead: small club.
B) Dummy: ♠Axx ♥xxx ♦xxx ♣Axxx
Declarer: ♠Kxxxx ♥AKxx ♦Ax ♣Kx
Contract: 4♠. Lead: small club.
Deal A):
Win the lead by ♣K, play ♥A and, after, go to dummy by ♣A; from there, play hearts to the King. Now play little heart: any opponent can win the trick, but none can prevent us from ruffing the fourth ♥card. The plan calls for a precaution: don’t move from declarer the second hearts trick: we need to start it from dummy in order to safeguard the ♥K from the singleton in East (if West has it, we cannot do anything). For this safe playing we need to win the lead in clubs by King, leaving the entry in dummy for manoeuvring in hearts.
Deal B)
Take the lead wherever you want and play hearts, ducking! Win the return trick, play spades’ Ace and King and, after, draw heart’s Ace and King, ruffing the 4th ♥card. If someone will ruff, it will be by a winning trump, then anyway we’ll gather ten tricks: three tricks in ♦s plus ♣s; four (or five), tricks in trump; three (or two), tricks in hearts.
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