Spingold play problem

[cherdanno]

I was watching only a few boards of the vugraph of the final, and it contained a very interesting play problem (from memory, as I can find hand records online - I may have the dealer wrong but I am confident about vulnerability and most spots; it was one of the last boards of the 3rd segment):

 

[hv=d=w&v=n&n=sa86xxha7xdaxcat9&s=sk9hkqt6xdqxxcxxx]133|200|Scoring: IMP

(P) 1♣* (3♦)

3♥ (P) 4♥ - AP[/hv]

You get the lead of the ♦ 9.

(You are Berkowitz, 1♣ was precision and 3♦ natural by Jansma. In case it matters, you are down by a lot with 16 boards left, so 3♦ probably won't be supercrazy.)

[akhare]

The hand reconstruction seems to be fairly accurate. I thought that LC's line was very good if not excelent -- as I recollect, A♦, K♠, A♠, ♠ ruff (RHO discarding).

[gnasher]

If hearts are 4-1 but spades 3-3, I can afford to draw trumps before touching spades - three top trumps, ruff the spades good, concede a trump. Can I cope with hearts 4=1 and spades 4=2?

 

Suppose that I play three rounds of spades, ruffing as West discards, then two top hearts ending in dummy, finding LHO with four. Then:

- If I play a diamond, they have several ways to beat me. eg RHO plays low, LHO ruffs and plays back the last trump, or RHO wins and switches to a club.

- If I play a spade, discarding a club, LHO wins and plays back a club. Now I can't both cash a spade and lead a diamond up.

- If I ruff another spade, I can't see any hope for a tenth trick.

So that seems not to work.

 

Maybe a diamond at trick two is better? RHO wins and switches to a club, which I duck. I win the next club and play three rounds of spades, ruffing, then ♥K, ♦Q throwing a club, regardless of whether LHO ruffs. If he ruffs and plays a third round of clubs, I have to guess whether RHO is 2272 or 2173.

This line also risks going down if RHO is 3271 - after ruffing the second club he plays a diamond, ruffed by LHO. I can survive 2371, though, because there's a black-suit squeeze.

 

Neither of these plans seems that attractive.

[wclass___]

Maybe a diamond at trick two is better? RHO wins and switches to a club, which I duck. I win the next club and play three rounds of spades, ruffing, then ♥K, ♦Q throwing a club, regardless of whether LHO ruffs.

Duck seems needless. When West ruffs your ♦Q, he will play two rounds of ♣ anyway.

 

I think that this is the best line.

[y66]

I like akhare's line but HK before playing spades.

[Fluffy]

ruffing spades in hand looks best, the only problem is how many top hearts to cahs, I think 1 is best as y66 said. ♦A, ♥K and if nothing interesting happens ♠K+[AP]A+♠.

[gnasher]

I like akhare's line but HK before playing spades.

ruffing spades in hand looks best, the only problem is how many top hearts to cahs, I think 1 is best as y66 said. ♦A, ♥K and if nothing interesting happens ♠K+[AP]A+♠.

On what layouts does this gain over simply drawing trumps?

[y66]

If I draw trumps and LHO shows up with 4 of them, I think we need spades 33 to make this.

[Fluffy]

I like akhare's line but HK before playing spades.

ruffing spades in hand looks best, the only problem is how many top hearts to cahs, I think 1 is best as y66 said. ♦A, ♥K and if nothing interesting happens ♠K+[AP]A+♠.

On what layouts does this gain over simply drawing trumps?

Seems like I was planning on 11 tricks O_o

 

but probably there are layouts where this gains, Keeping ♥A when spades 3-3 and hearts 4-1 will let you keep control to discard your clubs in time.

 

If LHO has 4 spades and 4 hearts I don't see a way to make it.

[TimG]

If LHO has 4 spades and 4 hearts I don't see a way to make it.

How about:

 

♦A, ♥K, ♠K, ♠A, ♠ ruff, ♥A, ♠ ruff, ♦Q?

 

I think you always get three tricks from this position, either i) two ruffs and the ♣A, or ii) ♣A, ♠8 and a trump.

[Fluffy]

If LHO has 4 spades and 4 hearts I don't see a way to make it.

How about:

 

♦A, ♥K, ♠K, ♠A, ♠ ruff, ♥A, ♠ ruff, ♦Q?

 

I think you always get three tricks from this position, either i) two ruffs and the ♣A, or ii) ♣A, ♠8 and a trump.

East wins ♦K and plays a club honnor, when you win in dummy you play 5th spade wich gets ruffed and the 4th heart comes back, you score: 2♠, 5♥, 1♦, 1♣, or lose 2♦, 1♣, 1 ruff.

[cherdanno]

If LHO has 4 spades and 4 hearts I don't see a way to make it.

How about:

 

♦A, ♥K, ♠K, ♠A, ♠ ruff, ♥A, ♠ ruff, ♦Q?

 

I think you always get three tricks from this position, either i) two ruffs and the ♣A, or ii) ♣A, ♠8 and a trump.

That does not seem right. You are left with ♥Q ♦x ♣xxx in hand, and ♠8 ♥x ♣AT9 in hand. RHO wins ♦A and plays a club. If you win and play a spade, LHO ruffs and plays a trump. If you duck, opponents keep playing clubs.

[TimG]

If LHO has 4 spades and 4 hearts I don't see a way to make it.

How about:

 

♦A, ♥K, ♠K, ♠A, ♠ ruff, ♥A, ♠ ruff, ♦Q?

 

I think you always get three tricks from this position, either i) two ruffs and the ♣A, or ii) ♣A, ♠8 and a trump.

East wins ♦K and plays a club honnor, when you win in dummy you play 5th spade wich gets ruffed and the 4th heart comes back, you score: 2♠, 5♥, 1♦, 1♣, or lose 2♦, 1♣, 1 ruff.

OK...how about:

 

♦A, ♥K, ♠K, ♠A, ♠ ruff, ♦Q?

 

I assume east wins. And, returns what?

[gnasher]

♦A, ♥K, ♠K, ♠A, ♠ ruff, ♦Q?

 

I assume east wins.  And, returns what?

A club. Then, I assume, you ruff a spade and lead your last diamond. West ruffs with ♥8 or ♥9 and you have to guess the trump layout. If you know that they're 4-1, you discard a club and score either a club ruff or the long spade. However, that loses when East is 2722 and can overruff dummy's ♥7.

 

This line seems to be equivalent to leading a diamond from dummy at trick two.

[TimG]

♦A, ♥K, ♠K, ♠A, ♠ ruff, ♦Q?

 

I assume east wins.  And, returns what?

A club. Then, I assume, you ruff a spade and lead your last diamond. West ruffs with ♥8 or ♥9 and you have to guess the trump layout. If you know that they're 4-1, you discard a club and score either a club ruff or the long spade. However, that loses when East is 2722 and can overruff dummy's ♥7.

 

This line seems to be equivalent to leading a diamond from dummy at trick two.

I'm not sure it's the right line, but it is a way to make when you know west has 4 hearts and 4 spades.

[ceeb]

I'm surprised at the unanimity of winning the ♦A at trick one. This in effect squanders a dummy entry (You feel it when late in the hand you cannot both force LHO with a good spade from dummy AND lead a diamond from dummy to establish the Q.) so right or wrong it is a somewhat unnatural play.

 

Ducking is the convenient way to establish the ♦Q on the actual lie -- 2164 distribution with RHO, though it loses when RHO is 2371. It survives when LHO has 3 trumps -- if LHO ruffs our 10th trick we get it back with a club ruff in dummy -- or whenever spades break.

[NickRW]

I'm surprised at the unanimity of winning the ♦A at trick one. This in effect squanders a dummy entry (You feel it when late in the hand you cannot both force LHO with a good spade from dummy AND lead a diamond from dummy to establish the Q.) so right or wrong it is a somewhat unnatural play.

 

Ducking is the convenient way to establish the ♦Q on the actual lie -- 2164 distribution with RHO, though it loses when RHO is 2371. It survives when LHO has 3 trumps -- if LHO ruffs our 10th trick we get it back with a club ruff in dummy -- or whenever spades break.

This somewhat depends on the weight you attach in the OP to "you are down by a lot with 16 boards left, so 3♦ probably won't be supercrazy" especially given that your opponent was certainly missing A and Q of his suit - and might have been missing one of the other top 5. These sorts of variables are rather hard to ponder.

 

Nick