The Royal Road

Both Vul
IMPs
Dealer: West
Lead: 3

	kenmon J 9 6 3 K J A Q 3 J 9 4 3
Maestro A Q 7 4 A 4 2 K 9 6 2 K 7		alsze K 10 5 Q 10 8 7 5 J 8 7 A 8
	a-yummy 8 2 9 6 3 10 5 4 Q 10 6 5 2

West 1NT 2 4

North Pass Pass Pass

East 2 3NT Pass

South Pass Pass Pass

Many, even most, hands have several routes to failure and only one to success. Far rarer is the hand where every line succeeds but one.

Gee is West, declaring the heart game after an entirely orthodox auction. North leads the C3, best for the defense; any other lead gives up the contract immediately.

Let’s plan the play. There are five possible losers, two in trump and three in diamonds. One of the possible diamond losers disappears if the spades come in. The hand is also rife with endplay possibilities. Probably best is to cash the second club and play the trump ace and another trump, finessing the 10 if North plays low. If South holds the king second she is endplayed immediately and the hand makes. With jack second she is still endplayed. She either forces an immediate guess in diamonds or gives up a ruff-sluff, and depending on the layout declarer has chances either way.

On the actual layout North holds KJ tight in trump and is forced to win the second trump and give up a ruff-sluff, a diamond trick, or a free winning finesse in spades. Making 4.

Inferior lines also succeed. Pulling trump without eliminating clubs and taking the double finesse in diamonds works. Finessing the spade 10 and hoping the DA is onside if it loses works.

What doesn’t work? Gee wins the first trick with the CK and leads a low trump from dummy. North wins the king and leads another club. Gee wins the CA and pulls two more rounds of trump. He then leads out his three top spades, ending in his hand, hoping to drop the jack. Jack doesn’t drop. Now he has four diamonds and a spade left in his hand; no more double finesse in diamonds. He still survives if he guesses diamonds, but he leads a small diamond and inserts the 8, which loses to the 10. He winds up losing two more diamond tricks for down 1.

Well. That doesn’t work.