Double Dummy Challenge #5*

The rules are simple. You get the contract and the lead. You may look at all cards and play accordingly (you are always South). However, the defense can do the same, and they never make mistakes. You must find a way to make the contract against any defense.

Challenge #5* (difficulty: easy)

(East's full hand is ♥6 ♦KQJT98765432)

Hi all readers. I rate this week’s problem as being easy (*) but prepare yourself! Next week’s DD will be Evil (****)! I wonder how many will manage to solve it.

You are playing 6♠. West leads the ♦A. Make your contract against any defense. Good luck!











Solution:
To make your contract , you need to eliminate all suits so that you come down to the position where South’s last 3 cards are ♠AJ10  and West’s last 3 cards are ♠KQ9. Only then you will be able to play the ♠10 and force West, upon winning with his ♠Q, to play back a spade into your remaining ♠AJ.

In any other case, when West wins a trump trick, he can escape by leading another suit, thus protecting another trump trick to set you. So how can you get rid of 6 trumps from hand? Ruff the opening lead with the ♠3 in dummy and under ruff with the ♠2 at the same time! Ruff a club (you are down to 7 trumps in hand now), go back to dummy with a heart (finesse as cheap as possible), ruff a club. Rince and repeat 3 times – heart to the dummy and club ruffs. Now you are down to the desired position before playing the ♠10 at trick 11.

Well done to everyone who solved the problem!