Zia's Question and Solution for Week 13

'There's a general misconception among non bridge players that a mathematical mind is the key to good bridge. I don't agree. In my view, a flexible mind is more important. The ability to adapt to unfavourable circumstances, to solve original problems-these are the true keys to success.' - ZIA

West deals and NS are vulnerable. Zia is South with this hand:

South (Zia)

652  AKQ10984 A3 6

The bidding is as follows:

West	North	East	South
3	Pass	Pass	4
Pass	4	Pass	5
Pass	6	Pass	Pass
Pass

At this vulnerability, West's opening bid, in Zia's opponents' system, has a narrow range - a seven-card suit and 5-8 high-card points. Zia's partner's 4 and Zia's 5 are cuebids agreeing hearts. The final contract is 6.

West leads K, and Zia sees that his partner has a great deal of faith in his skill as declarer. Zia will try not to let him down!

North

A3 J32 Q5 A109732

South (Zia)

652  AKQ10984 A3 6

Zia wins the opening lead of K with dummy's A. East follows with 4 and Zia discards 2. Zia lead dummy's 2 to his A. East follows with 5, but West discards 7.

At this point Zia sees that he has one real chance to make this contract.

For Zia's plan to work, with what card will the defence win its only trick?

Zia's Solution

The full deal is as shown:

	North
	A3 J32 Q5 A109732
West		East
KQJ10987   642 J54		4  765 KJ10987 KQ8
	South (Zia)
	652  AKQ10984 A3 6

Zia's answer is 7 or 6.

With only ten tricks on top, it will take a miracle to make this contract. First, Zia needs the club suit to divide 3-3. Then, he needs to have an entry to dummy to cash the established clubs. If the trumps had been 2-1 and the clubs 3-3, Zia could have played A, A and a club ruff, a heart to J and a further club ruff, then given up a spade. A spade ruff would then have provided the entry to dummy. However, when West showed out on the first heart, it became clear that this plan would not work. There is only one real hope.

Zia would play 6 to dummy's A at trick three. Zia intends to set up clubs ruffing high, after which he will use the carefully preserved 4 to throw East in, forcing him to lead away from the K and provide an entry to dummy. Zia's next move would be to ruff a club with any heart except 4 (say 8). Zia would lead 9 to dummy's J. Zia would then ruff a club with 10. Zia would now exit with the carefully preserved 4! East cannot help winning this trick. East must now lead a diamond, since he has nothing else left. This means that Zia can reach dummy with Q to discard spade losers on dummy's winning clubs.

Zia was confident West did not have K. Why? The bidding marked West as having no more than 8 points. Zia can see that West began with KQJ, amounting to 7 points, so East must have K. For the same reason (8 point maximum), West could not hold KJ or QJ doubleton in clubs (another possible solution). Note that it would not be correct to play A, club ruff, then draw trumps ending in dummy, intending to play the third club pitching a spade from hand, with the intention to endplay East. East could as is shown unblock his high clubs allowing West to win the third round of clubs with the jack and cash his master spade.

'I'm sorry if this deal was a little difficult. But you didn't expect it would be easy to win $50,000, now did you?'

Final result: NS win 12 tricks for +1430

'This is the last hand in the series. I hope you enjoyed the Orbis Hand of the Week as much as I did and I wish you all luck in the draw.' - ZIA

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