Solution to the March Hand of the Month 

(1): The number of total trumps is 22 – 11 spades to E-W, 11 diamonds to N-S. 

(2): The highest makeable contract is 5Í – but only when West is the declarer. East can be held to four. 

(3): The Par contract is 6Ë doubled down 1 (minus only 200) – but only when declared by South. North can be held to four. 

(4): This hand is fascinating because the two secondary offensive fits – clubs for E-W and hearts for N-S – are “frozen” against the defense from one side of the table, fluid from the other. It should be easy to spot that 5Í is beaten (if played by East) by a small club lead at trick 1. Dummy wins the ace and leads a heart toward the jack, but North simply pops the ÌA, clears ÊQ, and now South has the ÊJ to cash when he wins his ÌK. In contrast, a lead of either club from North when West is declarer blows the defensive club trick immediately. 

Similarly, the defensive heart is blown if West leads it at trick 1. That powerful Ì10 will make it impossible for a trick to be established before South can set up a club for a heart pitch from dummy. And at first glance it looks as though a heart lead from East at trick 1 will also be futile ... but not if he leads the Ì6 instead of the ÌJ! Now the powerful Q98 straddling the 10 will prevail. 

(5) The Law of Total Tricks is accurate on this hand, since either side can take 11 tricks if declared from the “lucky” side, and there are 22 total trumps. But that has more to do with the fact that both sides have a working void offensively than with the number of trumps! So your final assignment is to trade one of North’s spades for one of South’s diamonds, and one of West’s spades with one of East’s diamonds. Total trumps are still 22 ... but now nine tricks are the double-dummy limit for either side - no matter who declares it - for a difference of four tricks! 

Interesting how things like that happen.