You are on a train to Vladivostok. Your partner saw you off at the railway station with a present - personalized playing cards! You are ecstatic. However there is a condition.

"You may not use these cards until you solve the mystery hand enclosed. Love."

You open the mystery hand. Lo and behold -

"You are South. You reach a contract of 6 HEARTS with no opposition bidding. The lead is the Ace of Spades by West to which East plays the two. West switches to a trump. You are allowed to look at all four hands, but you must assume best defense. Explain to me :

1. How long it took you. (I know when you lie) ;
   
2. What the last 3 cards are in each hand ;
3. If you found this stimulating ;
4. Finally, what switch at trick 2 could have defeated you? If you get this right too, then I will present you with the sister pack of cards - in your favourite turquoise colour and the carry case.
   

P.S. Have a nice journey - enjoy the view. Love. Here are the hands - "

WEST A K Q 9 3 8 5 2 Q 7 6 4 3

NORTH J 10 5 4 7 4 A J 10 9 8 § Q 2     SOUTH 6 A K Q J 10 9 2 § A K J 8 7

EAST 8 7 2 6 3 K 5 3 § 10 9 6 5 4

All of a sudden, this journey has become stimulating and fascinating! Do you want the rest of your present ??

Solution at bottom of this page

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(Readers were asked to send e-mail entries)

There are two solutions -

• Simultaneous Double Squeeze - where the squeeze card is the last trump in the 3-card ending;
• Non-Simultaneous Squeeze - where the trumps are played off squeezing East, then the clubs and the club knave squeezes West.

Both solutions are right.

Last 3 cards :

WEST K - - - Q 7 - - -   NORTH J - - - A J § - - -   SOUTH - - - 9 2 § 8     EAST - - - - - - K 5 § 10

WEST K - - - Q 7 - - -   NORTH J - - - A J § - - -   SOUTH - - - - - - 2 § J 8     EAST - - - - - - K § 10 9

• Winning entries for the first line are:
  Bjorn, Curtis, Srikanth, StanGold, bigT
  
  
• For the squeeze card of the club Jack:
  shaf, cariad, Hlynur, oleg, PeteR, ronf
  
  

The luck of the draw favoured
Srikanth and Oleg.
Congratulations !!!