This was dissappointing...

[RunemPard]

7 Tables played this board today at our local club...including my partner...no one managed to make 12 tricks.

 

Please restore my faith in the human mind and bring this slam home! Opponents pass every round...

 

The contract is 6♥.

The lead is the 9 of ♣s.

If you win with the A and play a ♥ and the T comes from dummy's left.

 

(DECLARER)

♠AT2

♥A743

♦QJT82

♣Q

 

(DUMMY)

♠73

♥KQJ8

♦AK74

♣A72

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to the full hand and results. 5 tables got a ♣ lead and could not make it. 2 tables got the more difficult ♠ lead and failed as well. Only 2 tables were in slam.

http://www.svenskbridge.se/e107_plugins/competition/competition.php?deal.111440.2

 

Opponents hands...

 

 

(Plays before dummy)

♠KQ4

♥9652

♦---

♣KJ9653

 

(Plays after dummy)

♠J9865

♥T

♦9653

♣T84

 

 

 

[SteveMoe]

Counting tricks in order, ♣A, ♣ ruff, 4♥s, 5♦, ♠A makes 12. In MPs I would try ♣A, ♣ ruff, ♥ to hand H, ♣ ruff, 3♥s, 5♦, ♠A makes 13.

♥s 5-0 makes my head hurt. I can play that 5♥s also holds only 3♣ or hope that 5♥s has 4♦ card so that I can rid my hand of the losing spade. More likely to choose the first line if 5♥s are with East than with West.

[Zelandakh]

Are you sure everyone in the field got a club lead?. The hand seems much more interesting as a MP problem on a spade lead.

[gnasher]

Are you sure everyone in the field got a club lead?. The hand seems much more interesting as a MP problem on a spade lead.

You'd play the same line, which is ♣A, club ruff, then:

- At IMPs, draw trumps and make 12 tricks unless trumps are 5-0

- At matchpoints, cross in trumps, ruff another club, cash ♥A, cross in diamonds, draw trumps and make 12 tricks unless trumps are 5-0 or diamodns are 4-0.

- At any form of scoring, go down if trumps are 5-0

 

So I agree that it might go down on a club lead at matchpoints, but I think "much more interesting" is overdoing it.

Edited July 13, 2012 by gnasher

[Cyberyeti]

Not unreasonable lines of play for 13 after A♣, club ruff, ♥ to K dropping 10.

 

Club ruff with the 7 only goes off if ♦ are 4-0 and the 7♥ is overruffed with the 9. Makes 12 here.

 

Club ruff with the A, QJ♥ run diamonds, makes 13 if hearts 3-2, here makes 12, never goes off.

 

Club ruff with the A, hook 8♥, makes 13 if 9♥ is right, goes off if wrong and diamonds 4-0, here makes 13.

 

A spade lead is much more awkward, and I can see people going off after that although you shouldn't unless you try for 13.

[rhm]

T2: ruff club

T3: trump to the King, assuming the ten drops on your right. If somebody shows out I may have to reconsider.

T4: ruff club with the trump ace

T5,6: trumps

T 7 onwards: diamonds

 

Certainly the right play atIMPs. Making overtrick if trumps are 3-2, diamonds irrelevant.

This looses at matchpoints when trumps are 4-1 and no diamond void.

At matchpoints gnasher's line is probably indicated.

 

 

After spade lead ruff only one club and draw trumps at IMPs.

At matchpoints gnasher's line is indicated.

 

 

Rainer Herrmann

[rhm]

deleted.

[billw55]

I looked at the spoiler. Evidently, most tables led the top spade. I guess that most declarers, seeking an overtrick, tried to use diamonds as an entry for a second club ruff, and went down. Not all that surprising really, just your everyday matchpoint madness.

[gnasher]

[nonsense deleted - hope nobody saw it]

[RunemPard]

 

I looked at the spoiler. Evidently, most tables led the top spade. I guess that most declarers, seeking an overtrick, tried to use diamonds as an entry for a second club ruff, and went down. Not all that surprising really, just your everyday matchpoint madness.

 

 

 

Well here's the thing. You have no reason to try to get to dummy using a ♦ directly. You can afford to play ♥ into dummy twice to ruff both ♣ and still protect 12 tricks while trying for 13. If ♥ split 4/1 you will lose a trick to a ♦ ruff when you try to return to dummy to run remaining ♥, but you gain the ability to ruff the losing spade at the same time. A ♠ lead changes everything however. This approach only works on the ♣ lead. I am guessing that most tables made the mistake of drawing 2 rounds of trump directly. Doing this will never make you 6 on any lead. With void ♦ there is no entry to pull the other trumps. I found this hand extremely interesting because of how sure it seems to make on any line of play.

 

Which leads me to another question. What is the best line of play against different fields of competition? Playing against intermediate level players, should you take the sure route after a ♠ lead and seeing the T of ♥ come? Playing a higher level competition, should you be going for 13 tricks and hoping for 3/1 ♦ on a ♠ lead? With a ♣ lead it should go home with good play regardless though!

 

[billw55]

 

I am guessing that most tables made the mistake of drawing 2 rounds of trump directly. Doing this will never make you 6 on any lead. With void ♦ there is no entry to pull the other trumps. I found this hand extremely interesting because of how sure it seems to make on any line of play.

I don't see the problem. ♥A, ♥K, club ruff, ♥ to QJ.

 

Which leads me to another question. What is the best line of play against different fields of competition? Playing against intermediate level players, should you take the sure route after a ♠ lead and seeing the T of ♥ come? Playing a higher level competition, should you be going for 13 tricks and hoping for 3/1 ♦ on a ♠ lead? With a ♣ lead it should go home with good play regardless though!

I think 4-0 diamonds is unlikely enough that trying for the overtrick is always right at matchpoints.