Portland Bowl hands- ATB

[ClaceyJ]

[hv=d=s&v=n&n=s102haqj752da53c109&w=sq864h984dk10ca865&e=s9h1063dj87642ckq7&s=sakj753hkdq9cj432]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

[hv=d=n&v=b&n=sahkq64d85cak9765&s=sk98ha985da109632c]133|200|[/hv]

 

Both of these hands are from the Portland Bowl, the British Universities Championship, of which the Semi-finals and Final were contested over the weekend.

 

The first Hand came up at the bar after the semi final, with my teammates and I noticing that Deep Finesse said that 4S is cold off one, played by either North or South. We couldn't work out how(though we may have missed something obvious), and I was wondering if anyone (without using Deep Finesse) could work out how?

 

Hand 2 was an action hand, also from the Semi final, where the line taken appeared to depend very much on the contract played.

 

How would you play

a)7H

b)5h

 

and c) probably hardest, 6H (for an extra challenge, whats the line if you suspect trumps are 4-1 with East having 4)

 

all are on the lead of the 7D

 

(at our table declarer went off 4 in 7H, whereas a certain english JLALL played himself off in 5H but then had it handed back to him, to make 5H)

 

For those that are interested, Oxford A won overall, hence I have finally won my first competition of note :)

 

Joe

[se12sam]

The first Hand came up at the bar after the semi final, with my teammates and I noticing that Deep Finesse said that 4S is cold off one, played by either North or South. We couldn't work out how(though we may have missed something obvious), and I was wondering if anyone (without using Deep Finesse) could work out how?

If West is on lead, he has to underlead his ace! If East is on lead, he starts with the King of clubs.

 

East wins King and Queen of clubs, then switches to a low diamond. West covers south's diamond. This should now beat the contract.

 

1. South cannot finesse in trumps because he has four losers.

2. So he starts hearts and discards a diamond and a club.

3. Having rid himself of diamonds, he finesses in spades. West wins and returns a second diamond!

4. If South ruffs and runs trumps, he loses the CJ in the end, but if he ruffs it in dummy West's S8 is promoted when any card is next played from North.

[ClaceyJ]

After the diamond switch, he wins the Ace on table, plays 3H pitching a diamond then ruffs a diamond, ruffs the JC, and now just concedes a spade.

 

Joe

[jdaming]

Looks like K then Q of clubs then east comes out a ♠. If South goes up assumes he will he will then play 3♥ like you describe but in order to ruff the club he must use the 10♠ then west's Q8 is above dummy's J7. If it is played from the other side W doesn't have to underlead his ace so long as he crosses to east and then east leads a ♠.

[ClaceyJ]

Ah, but if south plays low on the spade what does west do? If he wins South can get in, draw trumps and run hearts. If he ducks then South can ruff a club in dummy.

 

J

[se12sam]

After the diamond switch, he wins the Ace on table, plays 3H pitching a diamond then ruffs a diamond, ruffs the JC, and now just concedes a spade.

 

Joe

You are correct.

 

Let me suggest an improvement to my original line. Cash one club (underlead to K by West) and switch to diamond. Does it work?

[jdaming]

wow I took totally the wrong approach initially...

 

I see it now. The defenders can be passive as long as they:

1) lead a ♦ from east

2) DO NOT cash both their club tricks

3) if played from south west MUST underlead A east has to get in wether on the lead or with a ♣ and do 1.

 

Declarer cannot avoid either losing 3♣ and a ♠ or 1♦ 2♣ and a ♠ the thing is he has huge entry problems. To get back to hand he can rough a ♦ but that is the only way safely without getting overruffed or using a much needed ♠. So as long as the lead is either low♣ or ♥ from west or ♥/♦ from east they are fine.

 

can't believe I got this so horribly wrong initially... :D