Double Dummy Problem Set And Solved By Pietro Forquet
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday April 19, 2001
Noble has convincingly won the open playoff in Christchurch and will represent Australia at the Bermuda Bowl in Bali next October. Team members are: George Bilski, Terry Brown, Peter Fordham, Phil Gue, Barry Noble and Michael Prescott.
South dealer; both vulnerable.
Final contract: 6H by South, after a 1S interpose by West.
Opening lead: SK
The double dummy problem posed yesterday was whether six hearts could be made; and if by more than one line, which is the superior one?
The answer to the first part of the question, predictably, is yes. With the clubs favourably placed, declarer has eleven tricks, and the twelfth must come from a spade-diamond squeeze against West. There are in fact two lines to land the contract by squeezing West, but one is markedly superior to the other.
Normally, declarer would be looking to rectify the count by ducking the opening lead, but that won't work, as the appropriate squeeze position (the matrix) can't be established to preserve the spade and diamond menaces in dummy. Thus the first trick must be taken by the ace in dummy. The heart 3 to the king and the heart 5 to the ace will follow, in case it is necessary to finesse against jack-fourth in East's hand, albeit not required as the cards lie. Two more rounds of hearts will be next, discarding a spade from dummy. Then three rounds of clubs will be cashed. With five tricks left, and dummy on lead, this will be the position:
When the ten of clubs is now led, it operates as the squeeze card. Declarer will discard his spade, but the noose has tightened on West. If West throws a spade, declarer will ruff a spade and exit with a low diamond, end-playing West for the second trick in diamonds. If West discards a diamond instead, a diamond to the ace and a diamond back will establish dummy's jack as the twelfth trick.
This problem was taken from actual play by the great Italian champion, Pietro Forquet, for his Passo a passo series. A successful squeeze position can also be achieved that foregoes the possibility of overcoming jack-fourth in hearts in East's hand, and exposes declarer to the possibility of a club ruff when four rounds of clubs are played before the last trump has been drawn (the king and queen of hearts having been cashed). Well done if you made six hearts by that route, but no marks, I'm afraid, in the context of the full question.
© 2001 Sydney Morning Herald