Solution to Quiz 1.1

Quiz 1.1 Matchpoints VUL= N/S	♠ K 8 4 3 ♥ A K T 4 ♦ 9 ♣ A 5 4 3		WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH 1 ♣ Pass 1 ♥ Pass 3 ♦ Pass 3 ♠ Pass 3 NT Pass 4 ♦ Pass 4 ♠ Pass 5 NT Pass 7 ♥ Pass Pass Pass
Lead ♦ K	♠ A Q 3 ♥ Q J 9 8 3 2 ♦ A 5 ♣ Q T

Analysis:

You have 12 sure tricks once you ruff the ♦5 (win ♦A and ruff ♦5 with the ♥A). If you find ♠ 3-3 you have no problem. However, how do you deal with an unbalanced ♠ split? You should consider BLUE. You will be out of ♦’s and all your ♥’s are good. So your possible threat cards are in ♠’s and ♣’s, all you need is one opponent to hold the fourth ♠ and the ♣K, in which case “B” is correct. The loser count is one, so “L” is correct. The ♠8 will be a threat against whoever holds the long ♠, and the other threat will be South’s ♣Q. With threats divided between the two hands, one must be in the upper hand, regardless of which opponent holds both ♣ and ♠ guard, so “U” is correct.

This chapter deals with alterations in the entry condition. On this hand, the squeeze card will be South’s last ♥, so you need an entry to the threat card opposite this card. The ♠ K provides this entry. Thus, you should recognize that if either opponent holds the ♣K and 4 or more ♠’s this is the basic squeeze position shown in §1.1.1.

To reach that ending you win the ♦A, ruff ♦5 with ♥A, play enough ♥’s to pull all the opponents trumps, then cash your side suit winners (♣A, ♠A-Q), then run your ♥’s. All you have to do is watch to see if someone plays the ♣K while you are winning your tricks. You will come to the following ending.

Quiz 1.1 Matchpoints VUL= N/S	♠ K 8 ♥ ♦ ♣ 5
♠ J 9 ♥ ♦ ♣ K		♠ ♥ ♦ 10 ♣ x x
	♠ 3 ♥ Q ♦ ♣ Q

When you cash your last heart, WEST crumbles. You could reverse East-West hands without affecting the squeeze operation. Note, to reach the above basic squeeze ending, you simply visualized the entry condition and cashed the cards in any order that would allow you to arrive at the desired ending. So, just like problem P1.1 you happened to executed a Vienna Coup to reach this ending.

(The back arrow key will return you to your place in chapter 1)