10 DECLARER PROBLEMS WITH RECOMMENDED
SOLUTIONS
Ed Yosses May 8, 2010
RECOMMENDED
APPROACH TO DECLARER PLAY
1. Identify
the Problem(s)/the Risk(s) /the Issue(s)
2. Identify
Options
3. Evaluate
the Options
4. Ask,
“Can anything go wrong”? Then Execute the Higher % Options
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HAND #1
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♠ A Q J |
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♥ 4 3 2 |
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♦ A 8 4 3 |
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♣ 7 6 5 |
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♣ K 10 8 2 |
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♠ 3 ♣ A J 3 |
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♠ K 10 9 8 |
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♥ A K Q 5 |
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♦ Q J |
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♣ Q 9 4 |
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3 NT. Opening Lead = Club 2, then Club Ace, Club J, Club King, Club 10. On the 4th Club, East discards the Spade 3. What does South discard on the 4th Club?
SOLUTION: Know Basic Odds (finesse = 50%, 3-3 split =
32%). Consider the negative
inference of East not discarding an encouraging Diamond.
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HAND #2
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♠ A 6 |
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♥ A 10 9 5 4 3 2 |
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♦ Q J |
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♣ 6 3 |
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♠ 10 9 7 5 |
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♠ Q J 2 |
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♥ ? ? ? |
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♥ ? ? ? |
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♦ A K 5 |
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♦ 10 9 8 7 |
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♣ J 9 7 |
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♣ Q 10 5 |
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♠ K 8 4 3 |
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♥ Q 8 7 |
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♦ 9 7 6 |
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♣ A K 4 |
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Contract = 4 Hearts. Opening lead = Diamond Ace, then King, then Club Queen.
All 8 Possible Distributions of the 3
Missing Hearts
K J 6 ---
K J 6
6 K J
K 6 J
J 6 K
K J 6
J K 6
--- K
J 6
Consider a Possible
Problem Distribution (3 on your left).
SOLUTION: Finesse the
Heart 10.
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HAND #3
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♠ K 10 5 4 |
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♥ J 6 5 3 |
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♦ A 4 2 |
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♣ A 3 |
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♠ Q 7 6 |
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♠ 5 |
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♥ A K Q 10 9 |
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♥ 7 4 |
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♦ J 9 |
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♦ Q 10 8 7 6 |
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♣ 10 6 5 |
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♣ Q J 8 7 2 |
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♠ A J 9 8 2 |
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♥ 6 2 |
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♦ K 5 3 |
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♣ K 9 4 |
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Contract = 4 Spades. Opening Lead = Heart Ace, then Heart
King, then Diamond J.
SOLUTION: Try to Avoid Finesses. Do not
draw trump. Ruff 2 more Hearts, cash the Ace &
King of Clubs, then play 3 rounds of
Diamonds.
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HAND #4
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♠ A K 7 |
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♥ 7 5 |
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♦ A J 6 4 2 |
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♣ 8 5 2 |
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♠ 6 |
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♠ 9 8 5 |
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♥ K Q 10 9 4 3 2 |
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♥ 8 6 |
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♦ Q 3 |
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♦ K 10 9 7 |
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♣ K 10 7 |
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♣ Q 6 4 3 |
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♠ Q J 10 4 3 2 |
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♥ A J |
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♦ 8 5 |
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♣ A J 9 |
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Contracts = 4
Spades. Opening Lead = Heart K.
SOLUTION: Set up the Diamonds. With
limited
entries to Dummy to preserve entries, play a small card from each hand the first
time
Diamonds are played.
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HAND #5
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♠ 8 5 3 2 |
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♥ 6 4 2 |
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♦ A Q 6 5 |
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♣ A 6 |
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♠ K J 9 6 |
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♠ 10 7 |
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♥ J 10 9 7 5 |
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♥ 8 3 |
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♦ 10 4 |
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♦ 9 8 7 3 2 |
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♣ 9 3 |
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♣ J 10 7 5 |
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♠ A Q 4 |
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♥ A K Q |
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♦ K J |
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♣ K Q 8 4 2 |
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6 NT. Opening Lead = Heart 3.
SOLUTION: Unblock
Diamonds in hand, play a SMALL Club from both hands, win the Spade switch, go
to Dummy with the Club Ace, cash Diamonds. Return to hand in Hearts, cash Clubs
from the top. (Surrender trick(s) early when you can afford to do so. If you cash
all Diamonds before surrendering a Club, the hand with long Clubs may cash a
good Diamond.)
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HAND # 6
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♠ 9 8 7 6 |
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♥ A 10 2 |
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♦ K Q 2 |
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♣ A 4 3 |
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♠ A J 10 4 |
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♠ K Q 3 2 |
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♥ 8 7 |
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♥ 6 4 3 |
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♦ J 10 3 |
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♦ 7 6 5 4 |
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♣ J 7 6 5 |
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♣ 10 8 |
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♠ 5 |
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♥ K Q J 9 5 |
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♦ A 9 8 |
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♣ K Q 9 6 |
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6 Hearts. Opening lead = Spade Ace then Spade Jack.
SOLUTION: Reverse the Dummy (but
cash 2 Hearts first to learn if Hearts split 4-1). If so, rely on the Clubs.
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HAND # 7 4
Hearts. Open lead = Diamond 9.
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♠ K J |
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♥ J 10 2 |
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♦ J 8 7 |
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♣ 9 6 5 4 3 |
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♠ 5 3 |
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♥ A Q 9 8 6 5 |
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♦ A 3 2 |
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♣ A K |
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West North East South
Pass Pass Pass 1 Heart
Pass 2 Hearts Pass 4 Hearts
How will you get to
Dummy to take the Heart finesse?
SOLUTION: The lead
and failure to bid in 3rd seat means East has the King & Queen
of Diamond & (must have the Heart King) so will not have the Spade Ace.
Impute cards as needed. Consider what a Pass (or other call) means.
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HAND #8 6
Spades. Opening lead = Club 3.
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♠ A J 6 |
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♥ A Q 6 |
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♦ 10 5 4 |
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♣ A 10 7 2 |
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♠ 8 7 5 4 |
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♠ 3 |
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♥ 9 7 3 2 |
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♥ 10 8 |
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♦ K 8 7 2 |
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♦ J 9 6 3 |
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♣ 3 |
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♣ K Q J 9 8 5 |
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♠ K Q 10 9 2 |
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♥ K J 5 4 |
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♦ A Q |
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♣ 6 4 |
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West North East South
1 NT 3
Clubs 3 Spades
Pass 4 Clubs Dbl 4 Diamonds
Dbl 6 Spades All
Pass
SOLUTION: You too can execute a squeeze! When desperate,
play you out your winners. An opponent (East here) may be squeezed.
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Hand #9
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♠ 8 7 4 |
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♥ A Q 6 5 |
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♦ 8 6 5 |
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♣ 7 5 4 |
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♠ Q 3 2 |
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♠ 5 |
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♥ 8 3 |
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♥ 10 9 7 4 2 |
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♦ A K J 4 3 |
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♦ 10 9 2 |
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♣ K 9 3 |
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♣ J 10 8 6 |
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♠ A K J 10 9 6 |
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♥ K J |
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♦ Q 7 |
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♣ A Q 2 |
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4 Spades. Opening lead = Diamond Ace, then Diamond King,
then Diamond Jack.
SOLUTION: Create an
entry to dummy by ruffing the 3rd Diamond with the Spade 9, then
play the Spade Jack.
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Hand #10
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♠ A J 6 4 2 |
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♥ 8 2 |
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♦ Q 5 |
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♣ A 9 6 3 |
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♠ K 3 |
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♠ Q 9 8 7 |
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♥ J 10 7 5 3 |
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♥ Q 9 4 |
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♦ A 6 4 |
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♦ 9 8 4 3 |
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♣ 7 5 4 |
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♣ K 8 |
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♠ 10 5 |
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♥ A K 6 |
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♦ K J 10 7 |
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♣ Q J 10 2 |
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3 NT. Opening lead = Heart 5.
SOLUTION: Identify and isolate the danger hand (West).
Win the first Heart, play on Diamonds then duck 1 Heart & take the Club
finesse.