[lamford]

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North-South can make Seven Spades. It is normal bridge and the opponents do not defend misère. The contract cannot be beaten and East does not have any penalty cards. What is the exact layout of the opponents' cards and what must have happened during the auction?

[661_Pete]

You say "East does not have any penalty cards" but say nothing about West. I can only surmise that West somehow exposed their entire hand, either during the auction or when making the opening lead. According to Law 24E, every such card then becomes a Penalty Card, and declarer can dictate in what order they shall be played.

I'm also assuming, W has all the high cards (probably bid 6NT, and then 7♠ was a sacrifice). But I haven't figured out what West's holding must be.

[edit] Perhaps E-W had bid 6NT, to be played by E? Then W, assuming that S had passed, thought he was dummy and tabled his hand, not realising that S was about to sacrifice in 7♠?

[661_Pete]

Aha! I think I've pieced together a possible hand for West:
♠ KJ
♥ AKQJxx
♦ AKQ
♣ AK

South asks West to lead a trump. South plays out all the trumps, demanding that West discard ♦AKQ. South then cashes all the diamond tricks, demanding that West discard ♥AKQJx. He then cashes three hearts for 13 tricks!

[edit] And a possible auction. West opens 6NT, and immediately tables his hand, without waiting for three passes, knowing that aside from a terrible heart split the contract is cold. South then says "not so fast, matey!!" and bids 7♠, requiring all West's cards to be penalty cards. Then the play proceeds as I have described...

[lamford]

Your solution is right but unintended and was also found by a friend at the Tolly final. I have changed the hand slightly and now think the layout is unique. Same terms as before. You are right that West must have tabled the dummy before the auction was over and now South bid 7S.

[nige1]

.

Please hit Next to see the play with explanation

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[lamford]

nige1, on 2019-February-17, 21:10, said:

Hit Next to see the play with explanation.

That is indeed working, but West could have any club below the king and any heart below the jack. I will work on it to see if I can make it unique.

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is my fifth attempt. Now I think, but am not yet certain, that West has to have ♠KJ ♥AKQ5 ♦AKQ ♣AKQ5

[661_Pete]

lamford, on 2019-February-17, 17:15, said:

Your solution is right but unintended and was also found by a friend at the Tolly final. I have changed the hand slightly and now think the layout is unique. Same terms as before. You are right that West must have tabled the dummy before the auction was over and now South bid 7S.

Thanks, but could you please edit your OP so as to reinstate the original N-S hands which you posted - otherwise my "solution" makes no sense.

To remind you, it had ♥10xx and ♣Qx in the north hand.

I can visualise the Hideous Hog playing this one out! Doubtless his arch-rivals Papa and Karapet are sitting E-W. And Karapet is bewailing "I had 30 points, and took no tricks!"

[lamford]

661_Pete, on 2019-February-18, 05:02, said:

Thanks, but could you please edit your OP so as to reinstate the original N-S hands which you posted - otherwise my "solution" makes no sense.

To remind you, it had ♥10xx and ♣Qx in the north hand.

I can visualise the Hideous Hog playing this one out! Doubtless his arch-rivals Papa and Karapet are sitting E-W. And Karapet is bewailing "I had 30 points, and took no tricks!"

Have done. I am still struggling to find a unique layout which I will post if I do. I think the layout two posts above is better, and maybe unique.

[nige1]

The crisscross squeeze still brings home the bacon
But this layout suffers from the same problems.
-- Paul can swap LHO's small ♥ and small ♣ for any of RHO's.
-- Declarer's ♥s and dummy's ♣s can be 5432
I think we have to settle for unique shapes rather than specific cards.

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[lamford]

nige1, on 2019-February-18, 08:21, said:

I think we have to settle for unique shapes rather than specific cards.

Thanks so much for your help, Nigel, and sorry not to see you in the team tournament in Edinburgh recently. Hope your operation went well.

I will work on a better layout!

[661_Pete]

lamford, on 2019-February-18, 06:17, said:

Have done. I am still struggling to find a unique layout which I will post if I do. I think the layout two posts above is better, and maybe unique.

Thanks, and I agree that my 'solution' does not admit of an unique layout (West could have any two clubs, not necessarily AK). I should have added, that South must be careful to discard only clubs from both hands, and not to block the diamonds!