[McBruce]

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Both JACK 5's double dummy solver and the Linux double-dummy solver claim that North or South can make twelve tricks in notrump here against the best defense.

It routinely happens when a defender leads a heart or a club, but double dummy defenders know to lead spades when in. So, where are the 12 tricks if defenders lead spades whenever they are in?

I see no squeeze that forces East to guard hearts and clubs; even leading the jack of hearts from the South hand doesn't transfer a menace; the eight of hearts is still a guard after West covers.

What am I missing? Inquiring minds (who are still under the impression that I'm smart enough to teach 'em) want to know. (Serves me right for including hand records with double-dummy makes...)

[rogerclee]

Cash a bunch of diamonds, east must keep all four clubs (else you can just duck a club). Then cash all your major suit winners (east cannot profitably pitch his majors in any order, you can always strip them or force him to unguard clubs early) and play ace and a low club.

[McBruce]

6 minutes -- pretty good!

[Fluffy]

I remember embarashing myself and 2 friends for half an hour trying to solve asimilar problem. The answer was quite simple: just make 3 fineses against ♣J1092 to score the 5 from dummy

[rbforster]

McBruce, on Apr 3 2010, 04:23 AM, said:

Dealer: ????? Vul: ???? Scoring: Unknown

♠ A8 ♥ AQ7 ♦ A954 ♣ KJ76 ♠ Q97642 ♥ K852 ♦ J ♣ 32 ♠ J53 ♥ T94 ♦ T86 ♣ QT98 ♠ KT ♥ J63 ♦ KQ732 ♣ A54

Just to elaborate a little on this one, there are 2 threats against East - first, he must guard clubs by keeping all 4, and second, he must keep at least 2 hearts to protect his partner's 8 from being finessed on the 3rd round. Together with this, he must also try not to be endplayed in clubs, so he wants to keep at least one non-club card in the 5 card endposition.

So on the run of the diamonds, East must make 2 pitches - what can they be? Any clubs and 2 hearts are out. So he pitches two major cards, leaving him with 3 left (SHH or HHH) after counting the first spade trick. At this point, he's essentially been squeezed out of his exit card since you can now cash 2 hearts and a spade to strip his hand for the endplay.

[Jlall]

The heart threat is irrelevant, you can give his partner KT98 of hearts and him 432 it's still the same. If he pitches 2 hearts you then cash 2 hearts and he is squeezed out of his spade again.