September 2024 - 63

Advanced Players
SOLUTIONS TO Test Your Play
Problems are on page 61.
The great Eddie Kantar died in April 2022, but the Hall of Famer and prolific
writer left us a treasure trove of bridge content. Per his wishes, we honor
his memory in the Bridge Bulletin by sharing his work with ACBL members.
1
s A J 5 3 2
h A K 4
d 10 9 7 3
c A
s K Q 10 9 7 6 s 8 4
h 7 6
d K 2
c 10 9 2
h Q 9 8
d -
c K Q J 8 7 5 4 3
s -
h J 10 5 3 2
d A Q J 8 6 5 4
c 6
Your best chance is to cross to the
cA, ruff a second spade, play a heart
to the hK to ruff a third spade, and
finally over to the hA to ruff a fourth
spade, stripping that suit (clubs have
been stripped long ago).
Finally, exit with a diamond to
West's king. If West has the hQ x x
and didn't cover, down you go. But if
West started with one or two hearts,
he will have to lead a black card,
presenting you with a ruff and sluff.
Discard your heart loser in dummy,
ruff in your hand with your last
trump and take the last two tricks
with the two remaining trumps in
dummy.
A 7-5 strip and endplay no less.
This line works whenever West has
one or two baby hearts as in the diagram,
or three baby hearts in which
case East has Q-x. The idea, even
though it may kill you, is not to take
the heart finesse
And yes, before the letters start
streaming in, you can afford to lead
the hJ to the king the first time you
lead the suit. Some people cover anything
in sight. However, you are not
planning on finessing, you are playing
on West's nerves.
s 8 4 3 2
h 8 2
d 10 8 7 6 5
c J 3
2
s K J 9
h Q J 10 9
d J 4 3 2
c 5 4
s Q 10 7 6 5
h A 7 6 5 3
d K 9
c A
s A
h K 4
d A Q
c K Q 10 9 8 7 6 2
To win the gold medal, you must
make three consecutive winning plays:
A Unblock the hK at trick one.
B Take the diamond finesse at trick
three.
C Lead a low club at trick four if East
plays a low diamond at trick three.
The heart unblock is necessary to
be in dummy to take the diamond finesse.
If not now, when?
The low club play is based on East
having 10 major-suit cards, the dK x
and the stiff cA.
If East plays low on the diamond
and the finesse works, as it must,
East has the blank cA. In order to
avoid a trump-promotion play of
a third heart from East, exit with
a low club, preferably the 2. West,
with a presumed J-3, will probably
play the 3, and when you play the 4
from dummy, East will win the ace.
This figures to be a pretty impressive
trick. However, if East plays a smooth
king when a diamond is led from
dummy, you have a problem. If the
king is singleton, East has two clubs
and you must exit with a high club.
If East has played the dK from K-x
(doesn't East know that second hand
plays low?), he might nail you. 2
Nominations for the
2025 ACBL Bridge
Hall of Fame Blackwood
and von Zedtwitz awards
Each year, the Bridge Hall of Fame
Committee considers candidates for the
Blackwood Award, given for outstanding
contributions to bridge outside of
expertise at the game, and the von
Zedtwitz Award, which honors inactive
players who have achieved prominence in
the game of bridge.
ACBL members in good standing may
submit candidates' names to the Hall of
Fame Committee for induction into the
ACBL Bridge Hall of Fame in 2025. To be
eligible for induction, a candidate must
live in North America.
Please submit nominations for these
awards to the Bridge Hall of Fame
Committee at elections@acbl.org.
Nominations will be forwarded to the
chair of the committee. Nominations must
be received no later than Nov. 1.
Remember when your
parents taught you to
play bridge?
Reward Their Patience
With A Tribute Gift.
www.ACBLEF.org
September 2024 | Bridge Bulletin |
63
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September 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2024
