[dkham]

This is a request for help.

I'm about to write an article for a Scottish Bridge Magazine, in which South ends up in 3♠.
I've not got any double dummy solver, but it looks like 3♠ is unbeatable. Am I right, or is there some sort of sneaky defence that beats it?

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[Stephen Tu]

Unbeatable? How about unmakeable? How is declarer going to avoid losing 3 clubs and 2 spade tricks?

DDS says 8 tricks is the normal result on any lead.

[Lord Molyb]

3 spades never makes unless the opponents really help you.

[nige1]

Bridgify is a simple, fast, and free DD solver.
www.bridgify.net/

[suleiman22]

@ Stephen: Declarer can avoid both spade tricks with helpful distribution as in the hand shown.

[Stephen Tu]

suleiman22, on 2013-September-23, 15:06, said:

@ Stephen: Declarer can avoid both spade tricks with helpful distribution as in the hand shown.

I don't see how he can with only one spade in dummy without some help from the defense. For trump coup you need to shorten yourself twice, but dummy has only the one entry, how you going to maneuver to take both hook & sufficient ruffs to set up the required end position? If defense help you out a bit by lead trump at some point then later heart (or another round of trump) instead of diamond then you can make (ha, ruff h, hook d, ruff, endplay LHO in clubs into giving 3rd ruff, force RHO to ruff last club and take last two trumps over his two trumps), but without help cannot be done.

[suleiman22]

Oops! lol you are right you can only lose one but you have to lose one. sorry!