Author Topic: A Surprise Coup  (Read 2825 times)

jcreech

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A Surprise Coup
« on: August 08, 2018, 03:24:52 AM »
This hand came up in a club f2f matchpoint game.  For some reason, my partner did not even sniff at a slam.  If we had been in slam, I am certain that the lead would have been less friendly.

North
!S AKT
!H J863
!D AQJ
!C J84

South
!S Q9832
!H AQ
!D K8
!C AQ76


If I had been in slam in a team game, I would have played a !C toward the J.  Since there is so much work to be done in the round suits, I have to assume that I will bring home the !S suit.  The !C play would give me three tricks in the suit when West rises with the K, or East wins and the suit breaks 3-3.  If West has the K and ducks, then I shift to !H’s; win or lose, I would have two tricks in each minor. 

However, I am in game with the friendly opening lead of a small !H, won in hand by the Q.  After playing the AK !S, and seeing that the !S finesse was necessary, I could see that the slam would be cold on a neutral lead if the !CK was onside, but would go down if declarer took both finesses and both offside.

Since I was only in game, I chose to play West for both Kings and led a !C toward the J.  When that held, I reconsidered the hand.   It now had the elements of a Vienna Coup where the count was rectified without actually losing a trick.  I just had to cash the !H A (tp make the J in dummy a threat(, then play the remaining !S’s and !D’s ending in dummy.  On the last !D, West has to pitch from K !H and Kx !C.  West actually pitched the small !C, so the K fell under the A, making the Q good.

The full hand:

          North
          !S AKT
          !H J863
          !D AQJ
          !C J84

West                    East
!S 5                     !S J764
!H KT742              !H 95
!D T632                !D 9754
!C KT9                  !C 532

          South
          !S Q9832
          !H AQ
          !D K8
          !C AQ76


A stairway to nowhere is better than no stairway at all.  -Kehlog Albran

kenberg

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Re: A Surprise Coup
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2018, 12:13:05 PM »
A nice hand, and congratulations on your line of play. It does seem as if you want to be in 6 since 5+1+3+3=12. I can see where there could be problems in the auction for people such as myself with only modest agreements. Suppose we start 1 !S - 2 !C  - 3 !C - 3 !S.  It seems that it might start this way if you were the dealer. You both have extras for the bidding so far, but how to show this.  Well, the 3 !S is stronger than 4 !S, but still.

Anyway, the hand is presented for the play interest and indeed it is interesting. Interesting for the defense as well. Suppose it begins !H to the Q and then you play !S AKT.  E should probably plat small on the T, forcing you to get off the board on your own. You might worry abut a heart being ruffed and come to hand with the !D K. If so, W can now count you for 5+2+3=10 tricks outside of clubs. He might want to think a bit about that club duck.

Bridge is an interesting game with most hands presenting many choices.

Just out of curiosity, how did this score? 6 !S should always make, but I am sympathetic to the pairs who didn't get there. Surely you were one of the few, very few, like the only one, who took 13 tricks.

Briefly: Nice hand!
Ken

jcreech

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Re: A Surprise Coup
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2018, 03:31:44 PM »
Thank you Ken for your comments.

It ended up be a little above average.  No one else made seven.  Almost everyone who opened 1 !S got to slam making.  One bid and made 6NT.  There were two in 6NT going down.   There was one in 4 !S making six.  The rest were in 3NT making six (all of whom received the heart lead and took the club finesse - I asked).

I was lucky because East did cover the 10 !S, and so I was already in the right hand to lead the  !C toward the J.  I would like to think that I would have given West the same problem, but with more information West might have risen, and I would be left without a story to tell.

Our auction was 1NT - 2 !C; 2 !S - 3NT; All pass.
A stairway to nowhere is better than no stairway at all.  -Kehlog Albran

kenberg

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Re: A Surprise Coup
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2018, 07:19:28 PM »
The hand presents many choices, in bidding, in declarer play, and in defense. At first glance I thought that 6NT played by N, on a heart lead, is doomed but I am not so sure. There are five spade tricks, two hearts after the K takes the Q, and three diamond tricks, so that's ten tricks outside of clubs. If the club finesse worked, that would be twelve.  But dummy's long heart is a threat so we could also try for two that way.

It seems right that after a heart to the Q and K then no matter the return then N, the declarer, with care, can be in hand after 11 tricks with

North:
!H 8
!C J


South
!C AQ


If W is able to keep the !H T, thus baring his !C K, without going into a horrible fit, N might have a tough choice. By then he will know that clubs were 3-3 to start but where is the K? With E, take the finesse. With W, it is now bare so play to the A. Of course E has shown out of hearts so W should know that he must keep his  !H T and bare his !C K but this isn't the Bermuda Bowl and he might either pitch the !H T or else fret so much he gives the show away.

Lot's of options.

In 6NT played S, say on a !D lead,  I think your way of playing clubs is still right. It is right as the cards lie, but I also think it makes sense.

Yep, a fun hand.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2018, 07:32:23 PM by kenberg »
Ken