Play it like Versace

[Walddk]

[hv=d=s&v=n&n=sa10963hkq3dq73c86&s=s74ha9762dajcaj54]133|200|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

To me Alfredo Versace of Italy is the world's best individual player. Here he is in action in a strong team game on BBO last night. He opened 1♥, LHO overcalled 1♠, and North bid 2NT as a limit or better heart raise. 3♣ from Versace, and 4♥ by North ended the auction (the hand is rotated for convenience).

 

♠K lead from West. Plan the play please. If you get stuck, I will reveal the play to the first 4 tricks a little later.

 

Roland

[whereagles]

At table I'd take the spade and finesse the diamond. If it holds, duck a club. If LHO takes, cashes his spade and continues with a club, I duck once, intending to ruff a club later, after unblocking the diamonds.

 

Of course, this is too mundane for a problem, so it'll probably go down :)

[Gerben42]

Okay here's my try.

 

I will refuse finessing a ♦. I win the ♠ and play a ♣, putting in the J if RHO plays low. LHO wins, cashes a ♠ and returns what? Or is it already too late?

[Finch]

I really really want to duck the spade but I can't, because I look sooo silly when spades are 6-1.

So, ace of spades, club to the Jack.

LHO has to do something now, what?

 

I can't decide if I'm going to play for trumps 4-1 and the diamond finesse right, and try to elope my trumps, or for trumps 3-2 and the diamond finesse wrong. But I don't have to decide yet.

[Walddk]

I really really want to duck the spade but I can't, because I look sooo silly when spades are 6-1.

Typo, 5-1 you mean, and you know they are because Jimmy Cayne would never overcall on a 4-card suit. Right, RHO follows with the 8 to trick 1. To both Gerben and Frances: Versace did not play a club at trick 2. I haven't analysed yet, but I will check what happens if you insert the jack.

 

Roland

[Walddk]

LHO wins the king, cashes a top spade (diamond pitch from East) and exits with a club to the 9 and your ace.

 

Roland

[Echognome]

I want to start by cashing one round of trumps and then playing the ♠10. If trumps are 4-1, this really limits West's return. What happens now?

[Walddk]

I want to start by cashing one round of trumps and then playing the ♠10. If trumps are 4-1, this really limits West's return. What happens now?

When you cash one round of trumps, West follows with the 10. ♠10 next you say; ok East ruffs in and leads a diamond through. I think you're on your way down.

 

Roland

[Echognome]

I finesse the diamond. It loses. I now need only ruff one club. Losing a spade, a diamond, and a club. How am I down yet? I guess you will tell me. :)

[Walddk]

I finesse the diamond. It loses. I now need only ruff one club.  Losing a spade, a diamond, and a club.  How am I down yet?  I guess you will tell me. :)

Oops, too hasty here. RHO exits with a trump, and West discards. Can you make it now if ♦K is off side?

 

Roland

[Finch]

LHO wins the king, cashes a top spade (diamond pitch from East) and exits with a club to the 9 and your ace.

 

Roland

I quite like the diamond pitch on my right, it probably means the 3rd club isn't getting over-ruffed!

 

I cash 1 top heart in the dummy. I see LHO will play the 10.

I play a diamond to the ace and ruff a club low.

I play a spade off the dummy. If RHO ruffs in, I overruff.

I ruff a club high in the dummy.

I play a spade off the dummy. Again, if RHO ruffs in I over-ruff.

 

I am now down to

 

x

-

Qx

-

 

opposite

 

-

A9

J

-

 

(the hearts might be different depending on RHO's plays on the spades)

 

and exit with the DJ. If LHO wins I'm cold, if RHO wins I hope the H10 wasn't from J10 doubleton (or J10x).

 

The difficulty with this line is that RHO could have discarded a club on the second spade, then I'd have been in trouble if he started with 1453, but I'd have changed tacks and taken the diamond finesse instead.

 

I had a possible alternative line of not taking any of the hearts, but I was worried about LHO ruffing in on the 3rd round of clubs with a singleton J or 10. Mind you, if he did that I could over-ruff and continue as before, taking the next ruff low. So maybe I need to think some more abuot whether this is right or not.

 

The other possible alternative line is one top trump in the dummy before playing a club. This seems to morph into my line above if trumps are 4-1 as LHO can't play a second trump.

[Echognome]

I finesse the diamond. It loses. I now need only ruff one club.  Losing a spade, a diamond, and a club.  How am I down yet?  I guess you will tell me. :)

Oops, too hasty here. RHO exits with a trump, and West discards. Can you make it now if ♦K is off side?

 

Roland

I think you're right. I don't have enough communication now between the hands. I'll make a 2nd attempt. Suppose I cash one high trump, then play a ♦ to the ace and the ♦J. I give up the easy trick with the diamond, but now have communication to cash my diamond winner and ruff a club (using an avoidance play on east in clubs if need be).

 

After my first attempt I would congratulate the opponents on a fine defense. :)

[Walddk]

After my first attempt I would congratulate the opponents on a fine defense. :)

This was not how the play went at the table, but I'm quite certain that Michael Seamon would have been capable of finding this defence if you had played ♠10 after cashing a top heart.

 

Roland

[Finch]

I don't think I tempo'd my answer quite right, I can do better.

 

Win the ace of clubs, and ruff a club low*

Spade off the dummy, ruffing in hand as appropriate.

Ruff a club high.

Spade off the dummy, ruffing in hand as appropriate.

Heart to dummy.

Spade off the dummy, ruffing in hand as appropriate.

 

Sometime when in hand, cash the ace of diamonds.

 

That's got to 10 tricks, and RHO can ruff LHO's diamond winner.

 

*if LHO ruffs in I over-ruff and hope it was a ruff in from a singleton so I can ruff the next one low.

 

The difficulty with this line is that if LHO is 5233 he can discard his last spade on the last club ruff. That's why I want to put off cashing the ace of diamonds as long as possible, in case I decide I need the diamond finesse. I will feel very stupid going off when LHO has KQJxx J10x xx Kxx and I could have just drawn trumps...

[Walddk]

[hv=d=s&v=n&n=sa10963hkq3dq73c86&w=skqj52h10dk642ck73&e=s8hj854d10985cq1092&s=s74ha9762dajcaj54]399|300|Scoring: IMP

South: 4H

Lead: SK[/hv]

 

Here is how Versace played the hand:

 

♠K won with the ace, and a spade off dummy at trick 2 (Seamon pitched a diamond). Cayne switched to a low club won by the ace over the queen. Versace now crossed to dummy's ♥K, noticed the 10 on his left and played a club to the 10, jack and king.

 

Cayne exited with his last club, ruffed low in dummy. Spade to ♥2, club ruffed with ♥Q and another spade ruffed in hand with the 7. He finally cashed ♦A and got off with the jack.

 

Seamon had to ruff his partner's winner and lead a trump into Versace's A9 tenace. Great play by the master!

 

Roland

[Finch]

What was worrying me about the hand was the risk of RHO discarding two clubs on two early rounds of spades stopping me taking a club ruff low.

 

In fact, suppose West simply plays another top spade rather than this club switch, and East discards a second club? Now I suppose we duck a club, win the club(?) return, cash one top trump, and play a master spade. If RHO ruffs in we over-ruff, ruff a club high and play the last master spade. RHO can't ruff in without picking up his trumps so it looks like we are back to 10 tricks again.

 

Seeing all 4 hands, RHO's diamond discard was an error. If he discarded a club we'd be left guessing how many clubs he'd started with. But as we bid the suit, it looks a bit odd to discard one from Q109x....