Play like Helgemo

[Walddk]

[hv=d=w&v=n&n=s1082hq32daq4ca1095&s=sk7643hk5dkj5ck82]133|200|Scoring: IMP

S: 4S

Lead: H4[/hv]

Cayne v All Stars yesterday on BBO. You arrived in 4♠ after North opened 1♣ and East overcalled 1♥.

 

Trick 1: ♥4 (3rd/5th) to East's 10 and your king. Take Geir Helgemo's seat and plan the play. If you were present, you are kindly requested to use hidden text.

 

Roland

[han]

Hmm, seems like we have to hope that east holds ace-doubleton of spades and exactly 4 diamonds.

 

Enter dummy with a diamond and play a spade. Say east wins and makes a passive return (as good as anything). Win and play a heart to the queen. East wins and makes another passive return. Now you strip the diamonds and hearts and exit with a spade to force west to break the clubs.

 

If Helgemo found a better line then I can live with that :(.

[Fluffy]

I'd play a diamond to the Queen then ♠10 to the King. My best hope is East ahs AQx, or lets ♠Ax go.

 

After winnign ♠K....

 

Now it is turn to endplay East, we can play for split honnors in clubs OR East having doubleton.

 

I'd play 3 rounds of diamonds, if East has 3 diamonds I'd play him for 3532 and cash ♣K+♣A to endplay him in trumps.

 

if East ruffs third diamond he probably endplayed himself, if he discards a heart I'd play trumps now and play for split club honnors.

[foo]

you are in trouble.

your expected losers are 1C + 1H + 2.66 S's. In short, you rate to be -2.

 

Since bringing home trumps for 1 loser is impossible, we have to play for a favorable lie of ♣'s (and try to induce defensive error as well) and bring them in w/o losers, +and+ we then also need the 33% chance of 3 tricks come home in trumps for us to make this.

 

Only trump lies where 3 tricks is possible are

9+AQJ5

95+AQJ

Jx+AQx

h95+Ah <= 100%

Qx+AJx

QJ+A95

QJx+Ax <= 100%

Ax+QJx

A95+QJ

Ah+h95

Except for the 100% lies, you have to pick the correct line to get your 3 tricks in trumps.

 

Let's see if we can figure out what RHO is likely to have for their 1♥ overcall.

Missing values are ♠ A, Q, J; ♥ A, J; ♣ Q, J

Seems reasonable to play RHO for both A's and both ♣ values.

[Halo]

I'll go for throwing in West (East 2542).

 

Very interesting if there is a convincing logic for throwing in one versus the other - maybe they signal their length in diamonds? Would I believe them - I wouldn't believe me.

[Walddk]

I'll go for throwing in West (East 2542).

 

Very interesting if there is a convincing logic for throwing in one versus the other - maybe they signal their length in diamonds?  Would I believe them - I wouldn't believe me.

You're playing against Versace - Lauria (well, that's a lie because for this particular deal De Falco had replaced Versace after he had lost his connection for the 10th time).

 

Anyway, if you play a low diamond at trick 2, they will both tell you that they have an even number.

 

Roland

[skjaeran]

Hmm, seems like we have to hope that east holds ace-doubleton of spades and exactly 4 diamonds.

 

Enter dummy with a diamond and play a spade. Say east wins and makes a passive return (as good as anything). Win and play a heart to the queen. East wins and makes another passive return. Now you strip the diamonds and hearts and exit with a spade to force west to break the clubs.

 

If Helgemo found a better line then I can live with that :).

You would go down Hannie, where Geir in fact made an overtrick!

(The overtrick wasn't there of course, but came in the wash as opps tried to beat him.)

[Guest Jlall]

I'll give this a shot and I'm sure I'll look like an idiot because, well, helgemo is the man.

 

Anyways, it looks grim and we need to avoid a club loser. I think our best shot is an endplay. Of course with Ax of spades these guys will quickly pop ace of spades so instead of a more deceptive line (cross, lead a spade to the king, then strip diamonds and try a spade) I will take a legitimate line and strip diamonds first and then lead a spade up. Note if they have AQx of spades they can make a brilliant play of the SQ(!) to beat me. Even these guys may not be up to that though. If they have AQ tight they'll win and play a spade, and I'll need to duck. But if they have AQJ they'll win and play a spade and I'll need to win and play a spade. Given that they have long hearts and need 3 diamonds, I'll play them for the AQ tight. If they actually play Q from AQx I'll be REALLY impressed.

 

After my hoped for endplay if they lead clubs now I will play for split honors no matter what they do.

[nige1]

[hv=d=w&v=n&n=s1082hq32daq4ca1095&s=sk7643hk5dkj5ck82]133|200|Scoring: IMP

S: 4S

Lead: H4[/hv]

Cayne v All Stars yesterday on BBO. You arrived in 4♠ after North opened 1♣ and East overcalled 1♥.

Trick 1: ♥4 (3rd/5th) to East's 10 and your king. Take Geir Helgemo's seat and plan the play. If you were present, you are kindly requested to use hidden text.

I guess the following line which loses when RHO has ♠ A Q J but has reasonable chances otherwise...

♥ K, ♦ J Q A, ♠ 2.

• 1. if RHo plays ♠ other than the ace, then play ♠ K and another, hoping to endplay RHO.
   
  
• 2. If RHO plays ♠ AQ, then duck, hoping that RHO has a doubleton spade.
   
  
• 3. If RHO plays ♠ A and ♠ other than the queen, then win and lead a heart, playing RHO for two spades and four diamonds.
  

[Walddk]

[hv=d=w&v=n&n=s1082hq32daq4ca1095&w=sj95h964d10987cq63&e=saqhaj1087d632cj74&s=sk7643hk5dkj5ck82]399|300|Scoring: IMP

S: 4S

Lead: H4[/hv]

Geir Helgemo played the hand exactly as Justin predicted. He won ♥K, three rounds of diamonds ending in dummy and a low spade up. Dano De Falco rose with the ace and exited with ♠Q.

 

Helgemo ducked and Dano was endplayed. He tried ♣J, but Geir won in hand, drew the last trump, finessed ♣10 and the unlikely overtrick came automatically.

 

Here is my estimate as to how long it took Helgemo to play the hand:

 

Trick 1: About 20 seconds to plan the play.

 

Tricks 2-5: Less than 30 seconds.

 

Trick 6: Dano exited with ♠Q and Helgemo gave that some thought, perhaps 20 seconds which is not lightning fast with him at the helm. As Justin pointed out, he had to decide whether to play East for AQ doubleton or AQJ.

 

Trick 7: About 2 seconds to win in hand when Dano tried ♣J. Helgemo has seen that before.

 

At the other table the contract went 1 down when declarer played a trump prematurely. 11 IMPs to All Stars.

 

Roland

[skjaeran]

Here is my estimate as to how long it took Helgemo to play the hand:

 

Trick 1: About 20 seconds to plan the play.

 

Tricks 2-5: Less than 30 seconds.

 

Trick 6: Dano exited with ♠Q and Helgemo gave that some thought, perhaps 20 seconds which is not lightning fast with him at the helm. As Justin pointed out, he had to decide whether to play East for AQ doubleton or AQJ.

 

Trick 7: About 2 seconds to win in hand when Dano tried ♣J. Helgemo has seen that before.

 

At the other table the contract went 1 down when declarer played a trump prematurely. 11 IMPs to All Stars.

 

Roland

That's in fact quite a lot of time for Helgemo! He's often much faster than this, but mostly on "mere technical" plays. When there's several possible plans and he's got to judge the layout, he uses more time. But still far less than most world class players.

 

I've seen him play a 5♦ once, where he glanced at dummy for only a second before executing a squeeze without the count in about 15 seconds, without a single pause for thinking (or breath). (European junior teams 1992.)

[Walddk]

Here is my estimate as to how long it took Helgemo to play the hand:

 

Trick 1: About 20 seconds to plan the play.

 

Tricks 2-5: Less than 30 seconds.

 

Trick 6: Dano exited with ♠Q and Helgemo gave that some thought, perhaps 20 seconds which is not lightning fast with him at the helm. As Justin pointed out, he had to decide whether to play East for AQ doubleton or AQJ.

 

Trick 7: About 2 seconds to win in hand when Dano tried ♣J. Helgemo has seen that before.

 

At the other table the contract went 1 down when declarer played a trump prematurely. 11 IMPs to All Stars.

 

Roland

That's in fact quite a lot of time for Helgemo! He's often much faster than this, but mostly on "mere technical" plays. When there's several possible plans and he's got to judge the layout, he uses more time. But still far less than most world class players.

 

I've seen him play a 5♦ once, where he glanced at dummy for only a second before executing a squeeze without the count in about 15 seconds, without a single pause for thinking (or breath). (European junior teams 1992.)

Right, he would not be feeling comfortable at all, and not the Helgemo we know, if you asked him to slow down and approach the likes of PO, Barnet, Robson, Feldman, Muller, Rosenberg, Aa and Grøtheim.

 

Geir Helgemo is a vugraph operator's nightmare! :D

 

What strikes me as amazing is his ability to go through almost all aspects in no time. Tor Helness*, his regular partner for years, takes much more time. In my view they make one of the very best partnerships in the world and I really fancy Norway's chances in the Bermuda Bowl.

 

Brogeland - Sælensminde and Tundal - Grøtheim are not exactly novices either.

 

* A few years ago someone (could it have been fred?) asked who the most underrated world class player is. I said Helness then, and I haven't changed my mind.

 

Roland

[skjaeran]

* A few years ago someone (could it have been fred?) asked who the most underrated world class player is. I said Helness then, and I haven't changed my mind.

 

Roland

I know this, and it's very strange, since Helness has been around at top level since early 80's (junior european champion 1980). Toghether with Leif-Erik Stabell he made up one of the stronger pairs in the world for some years, before Stabell moved to Zimbabwe.

 

I'm not at all sure who I'd say was the stronger player of Helgemo and Helness - that's very hard to say.

 

But If I'd had to choose only one of the for the Norwegian team (obviously anyone would have both), I'd choose Helness. Since he's the most experience player and great for team morale.

[Halo]

Still not sure why Hannie's line wasn't better. Justin says with Ax they hop up with the ace, but that doesn't seem to help against a West throw in. And, if the club layout is:

 

QJxx xx, only throwing West in works. Why do we think East has AQ of spades?

[Fluffy]

I have the same doubts Halo, my line worked when RHO had AQJ and 2 or 3 diamonds, wich is better than AQ and exactly 3 diamonds.

 

Adding the chances of a normal defence when RHO has AQx it seems much better.

 

Probably I am missing something.

[skjaeran]

Geir Helgemo has a daily column in Verdens Gang (VG), Norway's largest tabloid. He often features hands from BBO, both from the Cayne matches and others, where he's participated. He always tells that these hands are from BBO. The board of this thread appeared today, and I quote:

This entertaining hand appeared in a teams match on BBO last Sunday and some guesswork was needed to make the contract.

{Full hand diagram}

North opened 1♣ and east overcalled 1♥. I was sitting south and bid 1♠. North raised to 2♠ which was raised to game. The ♥4 lead went to the ten and king, and a little pause was due.

From the bidding the chances for the ♠A with east was good, something which was more or less a necessity anyway. But even then there's three major suit losers and a ♣ loser. Endplaying east wold work if he ducked from ace doubleton in ♠'s the first time the suit was played, but that's a remote chance. With AQ or QAJ there's nothing east could do, thus that's what declarer played for.

Three rounds of ♦'s had to be played for the endplay to work and luckily all followed suit. East won a spade off dummy with the ace and continued with the queen. South guessed at AQ doubleton and ducked, and the endplay was there. East tried to set the contract by switching to the ♣J, but as I played for split honours that lead to an overtrick. ♣K, ♠K and a ♣ to the ten ensured the rest of the tricks.

[foo]

URL or link please?

[cjames]

URL or link please?

You can only read it in the paper-version me thinks.

[skjaeran]

URL or link please?

You can only read it in the paper-version me thinks.

Correct. And it's in Norwegian.

[Fluffy]

Thanks for the translation :), I wonder why he didn't take AQx into account, he took opponents for gods hehe.

[Halo]

I know it seems churlish to apear to detract from a nicely played hand, where the line had the useful property of working...but then otherwise,of course, no news.

 

It still seems to me that playing for Ax as against AQ is so much better it much outweighs the fact that East is more likely to hold three than four diamonds.

 

AQJ seems a 'red herring' in this instance because declarer didn't play for it.

 

Now I'll stop arguing with success.

[ceeb]

AQJ seems a 'red herring' in this instance because declarer didn't play for it.

I was wondering if Helgemo judged against AQJ based on table action. With QJ, it might take the defender a moment to realize that only the Q is correct. If there was no delay that might indicate nothing to think about.

 

-- Charles