April 2021 - 65

Advanced Players

SOLUTIONS TO

TEST YOUR PLAY

Problems are on page 63.

	

K954
K93
QJ2
	
A62
 Q J 10 8	
7
N
 A J 7 5		 W
 10 8 4 2
E
 3		
64
S
 K Q J 3		
 10 9 8 7 5 4
	
A632
	
Q6
	
 A K 10 9 8 7 5
	
-

1		

Ruff the opening lead and lead a low
heart (the key play). West figures to
have the A on the bidding and is
caught in a Morton's Fork dilemma.
Basically it's a situation where he's
damned if he does and damned if he
doesn't.
Say West rises with the A. That
is the end for the defense, as you now
have 12 top tricks: seven diamonds, two
hearts, two spades and the A.
The deal becomes a little more interesting if West plays low. You win the
king, discard the Q on the A and
ruff a club, stripping that suit. Before
dealing with the spade suit, cross to a
diamond, ruff a heart, back to another
high diamond in dummy and ruff
dummy's last heart, stripping that suit
as well. You need 2-1 trumps for this
line to work.
The next step is dealing with the
spade suit, with a good chance that
West has four spades. No problem. You
have a 100% play assuming spades are
3-2 or even when West has four spades
as strong as the Q-J-10-8! See how?
Start with a low spade. If West plays
low, insert the 9. Assuming it loses and
a spade come back it means spades
are 3-2 and you have the rest. If East
has no more spades, he must give
you a ruff-sluff, and your spade loser
vanishes.

If West inserts an honor when you
lead a spade, play low. If West continues with an honor, play low from
dummy, win the ace in your hand, and
if East shows out, lead a spade to the 9.
Making six, having taken three spade
tricks.
If West exits with the 8 after an
honor holds, insert the 9. If East covers,
win the ace: Spades are 3-2 and you
have three spade tricks, or 12 in all. If
the 9 holds, meaning East has shown
out, once again you have three spade
tricks, and 12 in all. Your Morton's Fork
play worked.
	
A3
	
-
	
AKQ9732
	
A542
 9 8 2		
J754
N
 K Q 8 3		 W
762
E
 6 5		
 J 10 8 4
S
 K J 10 3	
96
	
 K Q 10 6
	
 A J 10 9 5 4
	
-
	
Q87

2

You have four spade tricks, a likely
six diamonds tricks if they break no
worse than 4-2 (about 85%) plus two
side-suit aces: 12 tricks! So what's the
problem? Entries.
Entries can be a problem if you duck
the first spade to your hand, East playing low, and you winning the 10. Now
what? You are in an awful pickle. You
have to cross back to the A and try to
run your diamonds. Say they break 3-3.
Am I good to you or what? It's still not
enough. You have to lead a low club to
the queen hoping East has the king so
you can get back to your hand to cash
the K Q and the A. That's a lot to
ask for.

American Bridge
Teachers' Association

Call

f o r E ntr i e s

The American Bridge
Teachers' Association
welcomes submissions
for our annual book and
technology awards.
Presentation will be made at
our annual convention,
to be held in conjunction
with the 2021 ACBL Summer
NABC in Providence RI.
Winners are determined
based on the value of the
product to bridge teachers
and/or students. A winner may
be selected in each of the
following categories:
Beginner/Novice
Book of the Year
Intermediate to Advanced
Book of the Year
Software/Technology of the Year
(software, media, etc.)
Works published since
May 1, 2020, are eligible.
Reprints will not be
considered unless there
are substantial revisions.
Authors or publishers may
contact Awards Committee
chair, Karen Walker,
bookoftheyear@abtahome.com
for information on how to
submit an entry.

Entries close on
May 1, 2021.

continued on page 72
April 2021 | Bridge Bulletin | 65
April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2021
