Problem

The Auction:

After North and East passed, South opened with 1♦. West overcalled 1NT. North doubled for penalty and East called 2♥. South bid 3♦. West doubled.

West led the ♣K. How can South win 9 tricks?

Vulnerable: none

Contract: 3♦ Dbl S

Solution

South won the first trick with dummy`s ♣A (trick 1). The declarer can count on two more tricks with the ♥AK, no hope for a finesse or third one as East has the hearts.

And West obviously has the aces, making South`s kings vulnerable and there is no question who holds most of the missing five diamonds and missing top honors of diamonds. So the question is, how can South get six more tricks?

South led the ♠10 from dummy next. East played the ♠8, South ducked and West won the trick with the ♠A (trick 2). West led a spade back. East sacrificed the ♠Q, so South`s won the trick with the ♠K (trick 3). Now the ♠J was a winner.

The declarer couldn´t touch trumps, but spades and clubs offered a nice possibility to crossruff. South played the ♠6 and ruffed into dummy (trick 4) as both opponents followed suit. Next South led the ♣10 from dummy and ruffed (trick 5). The declarer cashed in the ♥K and then led a small heart to dummy`s Ace (tricks 6, 7).

Now the declarer could lead clubs again from dummy – South led the ♣9 and ruffed (trick 8). Needing only two more tricks South led the ♠J. West ruffed with the ♦8 and won the trick (trick 9). West led the ♣Q, forcing the lead back to the declarer. South ruffed (trick 10) and led the ♦K. Now West was endplayed – West won the trick with the ♦A (trick 11), and cashed in the next one with the ♦Q (trick 12), but had to concede the last trick to South`s ♦J (trick 13)..

South`s opening was borderline and West probably felt that with the ♦AQ10x, the ♠A and the ♣KQ a double was more than justified. But South found a play line which enabled to get the most out of spades and clubs first winning 2 tricks: one with the ♠K, then another by ruffing a spade into dummy and 4 tricks with clubs – one with the ♣A and three more tricks ruffing clubs.

Hearts provided two more tricks and thus South needed only 1 more trick with diamonds, which he managed by elegantly endplaying West.

Par Contract Analysis

The par contract on this deal is 2♦ by South.