Double Dummy Corner

 

by

Hugh Darwen

Next update: 05 July, 2009
Problem 423 is perhaps the most difficult problem in the entire collection of 800+.
This one is pretty tough too!

About Double Dummy Corner.

Click here for history of updates to this web site.
Click here
for table of links to other sections.

Competition Problem 52

composed by Hugh Darwen

DR?

♠ A7432

 1054

 Q8

♣ K76

♠ QJ65

 K

 KJ102

♣ AQJ5

♠ 98

 Q9876

 765

♣ 432

♠ K10

 AJ32

 A943

♣ 1098

West to lead and East-West to defeat South's contract of two no-trumps.

To send me your solution, and please suggest a DR.
(If you don't see click here above, you may need to enable Java script in your browser.)
Entries to reach my inbox before: 13:00 UCT on Sunday, July 5th, 2009.

Click here for solution and result of Competition Problem 51

All competition problems are previously unpublished.  You can add to your overall DD Master Points score (though not your annual one) by solving Competition problems 1, 2, and 3.

Selected section links (italicised ones are to other web sites):

Competition Rules Main problem archive Complete set of links
Previous competition problems George Coffin's collection Problems by Theme
Problems by each composer Problems by Difficulty Rating Exchange & Win Problems
History of updates to web site Mistakes From The Media George Coffin's 88 instant puzzles
Eddie Kantar's problems    

About Double Dummy Corner

Double Dummy Corner was started in January 2001 for the benefit of people interested in double dummy bridge problems.  Its main purposes are

  • to provide a repository of every worthwhile DD problem that has ever been published; and

  • to provide a medium for publication of new problems for competitive solving

It is updated every Sunday, in principle, subject to the vagaries of the webmaster's personal life.

As a matter of policy I provide solutions only to Competition Problems (usually shortly after the closing date), but you can send me a solution to any problem and I will reply (not always immediately!) telling you if you are right or, if you are not, where your solution goes wrong.  If you are right and it is your first attempt at the problem in question, then I add your name to the list of solvers for that problem.

Nowadays these problems can be solved by computer programs; indeed, I use such a program myself to check all the problems that appear here and to check submitted solutions.  I assume unless you tell me otherwise that your solutions result from your own mental efforts, not assisted by any computer program.

My archive of previously published problems is divided into two sections.  

The first section currently has 501 problems and consists mainly of problems that appeared in solving competitions British bridge magazines from 1949 to 2005.  (The highest problem number is currently 512, but there are some gaps and there are some duplicates that came to light after their appearance here.)

The second section, consisting of problems collected by George S. Coffin during the middle of the 20th century, is complete and has 304 problems.  Every problem is checked by a computer, which has so far caused me to discard 212 as being "cooked" (though in many cases nobody seemed to notice when they were first published).  I found 77 cooked problems in George Coffin's two books, out of 413.  Several of these cooked problems are given high accolades by Coffin.  Of the 635 problems published in my magazine column and, before me, Ernest Pawle's, 135 were cooked.  It all goes to show just how tricky this business is!

In addition to the main repository, there is a section entitled Mistakes From The Media giving some interesting examples of incorrect double dummy analysis by prominent bridge writers.  Yet another section, Exchange & Win Problems, is devoted to a comparatively new, intriguing kind of problem invented by Luigi Caroli.

Click on Competition Problem #1 if you want to have a go at one of the toughest problems ever composed.  During the period at the beginning of 2001 when I had no magazine column, I started to place "competition problems" here.  I only got as far as #2 (though much later added #3).  In 2005 I lost my magazine column again and restarted competitions here with #4.  Correct solutions to #1, #2, #3 and the current one on this page, sent by e-mail, earn D.D. Master Points.

Richard Pavlicek has composed some nice problems that you can find at his web site.

Complete Set of Links

Problem archive Most recent addition to archive First problem in archive
Back to beginning Previous competition problems George Coffin's collection
Mistakes From The Media Exchange & Win Problems History of updates to web site
Problems by Theme Problems by Difficulty Rating Problems by each composer
Competition Rules
Richard Pavlicek's collection Eddie Kantar's problems

                  

© Hugh Darwen, 2007

Date last modified: 28 June, 2009