kenrexford Posted October 21, 2007 Report Share Posted October 21, 2007 [hv=d=n&v=n&n=sxxhxxxd10xxxcaj8x&w=skj10xxhxdkqxxc9xx&e=s9xhxxxxda9xxckxx&s=saqxxhakqjxdjcq10x]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv] Finals of KO, top bracket. The auction: P-P-2NT(maybe mis-sorted, maybe state of match)-P-3NT (Puppet was available)-all pass Opening lead is the spade 10 (Rusinow). Small from dummy. Third hand figures that the oopening is from AJ10x(x) or KJ10x(x). If Declarer has AQ, the 9 would be the right card, giving count. If Declarer has the KQ, thirdhand can catch up later, with Reverse Smith. So, third hand plays the spade 9, to give count. Declarer counts his tricks before playing. Five hearts, two spades, and a club. He needs the club finesse. If the club finesse works, he has tricks to burn. But, what if the club finesse fails? The opposition will surely cash diamonds for a set. So, what to do??? Declarer then thinks about the defender's problem if he rises with the Ace. his RHO will get in with the club King and lead a spade to his partner's Jack. That person will be mystified and perhaps will think that spade are 5422 with his partner having four to the Queen. This may induce a spade underlead, into the Queen. Maybe not, but it seems like a good hedge. So, Declarer hops the spade Ace. (This, of course, baffles RHO, who suspects 10 from J10xx(x) now.) Decclarer now starts running hearts. On the second heart, LHO does not want to ditch a club, in case that helps Declarer read the club situation, if that matters. So, he plays a diamond. On the third heart, he's almost forced to ditch a club. On the fourth heart, LHO plops down the diamond King. He figures that this will let his partner know that he has a full five spades, of course expecting his partner to have the Queen. On the fifth heart, LHO ditches another club. Declarer then hooks the club, losing. His trap is set. RHO dutifully leads the spade, and LHO is in with his Jack. Put yourself in LHO's situation. From his perspective, Declarer cannot have the hand that he has. Further, winning the first spade high is quite a deep position, if he does strangely have this pattern. But, it seems that his partner, if he had the Queen, should 100% play the Queen and then another spade. If LHO plays the diamond King now, this could be a disaster. If he leads a small spade, this could be a disaster. If he plays the spade King, the suit might block) if his partner actually holds four spades and did not play the Queen for some reason). So, LHO decided that Opener had mis-sorted or was weird, cashed the spade Jack, cashed the diamond King, dropping the stiff Jack, and fired a diamond through the 10x on dummy (a diamond was sluffed) into RHO's A9x. Down three. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skjaeran Posted October 21, 2007 Report Share Posted October 21, 2007 It's so insane that it just has to be true. Even you couldn't come up with it, Ken. B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwnn Posted October 21, 2007 Report Share Posted October 21, 2007 i don't believe it. everyone knows you have to double 2NT in balancing seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helene_t Posted October 21, 2007 Report Share Posted October 21, 2007 This ♠A stunt is one of my favorites. Has been reported in Dutch journals a couple of times recently, I think Bas Drijver was responsible for both. I've done it once myself, worked wonders. Sad to see it didn't work here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluffy Posted October 21, 2007 Report Share Posted October 21, 2007 If its down 3, West probably cashed his ♠K before playing a diamond. Nice hand for trust partner, not declarer. BTW Csaba, there was no balancing sit on 2NT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwnn Posted October 21, 2007 Report Share Posted October 21, 2007 If its down 3, West probably cashed his ♠K before playing a diamond. Nice hand for trust partner, not declarer. BTW Csaba, there was no balancing sit on 2NT. good point. totally believable then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenrexford Posted October 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2007 BTW -- the declaring side play 2NT as 19-21. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossoneri Posted October 22, 2007 Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 Wow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerben42 Posted October 22, 2007 Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 Maybe better to finesse ♣ trick 2 if you are going to be tricky? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluffy Posted October 22, 2007 Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 Maybe better to finesse ♣ trick 2 if you are going to be tricky? Amén to that, playing hearts is good only to weaken opponents for the next boards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherdano Posted October 22, 2007 Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 This is not a good hand for the ♠A trick, mostly because you are going to lose the lead to RHO. (And it also seems silly to make a deceptive play and then give opponents maximum time to clarify the situation with Smith echo and discards.) Btw, I don't believe the story, I don't know anyone who would play count at trick one here :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenrexford Posted October 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 This is not a good hand for the ♠A trick, mostly because you are going to lose the lead to RHO. (And it also seems silly to make a deceptive play and then give opponents maximum time to clarify the situation with Smith echo and discards.) Btw, I don't believe the story, I don't know anyone who would play count at trick one here <_< Ah! You are so suspicious. In reality, the story is a fabrication. The story did live, in a sense, like a cat in a box, believed as a possible "what's going on" by Declarer's LHO. That individual, whose name shall remain nameless, thought everything was going on all fine and dandy until his partner did not lead the spade Queen when he was in. This made no sense, so this intricate alternative was envisioned. His partner said that he was insane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sartaj1 Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 great hand ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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