Interactive Problem 10

Not sure if the robot defended optimally, but I managed to score 10 tricks in a different way. At the start I thought (in addition to trying to win the Q♦) there might be some cross-ruff potential, so instead of drawing trumps I cashed AK♠ then led a third spade from hand. They ruffed low with the 2♥, allowing me to over-ruff with the 3♥ in dummy. I then led a diamond towards the Q, losing to West's ace. A low trump was returned, won in hand with the 8, then I led my last spade where again I was able to over-ruff in dummy. Finally I cashed the A♣ and exited with a diamond, won by West. They returned a diamond but I trumped in dummy, led a club back to the King, then another diamond towards dummy's trumps and I still had a high trump left for the 10th trick.

I tried it and W plays his A even when you play low diamonds from both hands!

Thanks - I always learn something from these problems! I managed to score the Q♦ by (probably not so wisely) finessing the J, 10. When I led 8♦ and played low from dummy, W won with the A♦ for some reason so I could then finesse the K.

Thanks -- good point about counting tricks as well as losers

I missed it being safe to look for ♦AK and went straight for the trump coup/elopement (♠A, ♥K, ♥ to J, spade, spade) but the robot cooperated so I couldn't go wrong. They ruffed the 3rd spade rather than throwing the club.

Happy New Year!

The British call this "scrambling." When I played the hand, the robots screwed up. When I led a diamond from the N hand, when E, seeing 2 diamonds in dummy, did not play the A or K, I inserted the 9 and West won the ace of diamonds and returned the J of diamonds. My plan was to "accumulate trump tricks," but now almost anything is successful.

Well done. Good lesson.

Happy New Year. Thanks. - sc