By Joel Hoersch
Editor, District 22 Forum
Í KJ4
Ì AKQ
Ë KQJ
Ê K1065
Í (?) Í (?)
Ì (?) Ì (?)
Ë — Ë 108632
Ê (?) Ê (?)
Í AQ
Ì 10762
Ë A9754
Ê AJ
This hand is from a great 2007 bridge puzzle book by Julian Pottage called “A Great Deal of Bridge Problems.” The book and this problem were referred to me by Andrew Campbell ... who is a retired mathematics professional ... by way of Joe Kivel, who is one of District 22’s most prominent players. It’s an excellent teaching tool about some bridge mechanisms that many players mistakenly feel are beyond their comprehension. But if you remember the Newtonian law which states that no two objects can occupy the same place at the same time, you should be able to work your way to the correct answer on this one.
South plays 7NT. Opening lead is Í10, won by declarer’s ace. When declarer plays a small diamond at trick 2, West shows out.
At this point you can state a detailed claim for all 13 tricks, no matter how the other cards are distributed!
Take your time with the analysis, and remember that your first task is to count your sure tricks before planning how to get that elusive 13th. When you have worked out your answer, turn to SOLUTION to see how you measure up. And don’t quit before you get it, or I’ll instruct Andrew (who in reality is probably the nicest guy I know) to come along and rap your knuckles with a steel ruler!