Perhaps Mr. Brass had not played enough years yet to encounter a pre-empter who — when faced with a strong two clubs bid on his right — chose to pull in a smidge with an 8-card suit due to being vulnerable

Wait until he plays against David Bahkshi’s children, Liam and Jasmine. It will be a tough match and exciting to see.

Looking some more into the column line, the following parenthetical statement caught my attention:

**********
He then cashed the spade ace and overtook the spade jack with the queen, needing East to follow suit (though had the heart king put in an appearance earlier, he would not even have needed that).
**********

Could you explain that?

Hi Jim2,

Yes,, and I doubt any modern expert would criticize Tommy for merely winning the diamond lead, cashing one high club, then going to the heart ace and outright finessing for the club jack.

Remember, though it might be close as to on percentage East having been dealt 4 clubs, even if only 3, he would still be the favorite to hold the jack.

However, if he had done so, this hand might only be considered a “lucky stab” and not a coup, leaving it, in fact, not to be reported.

Sometimes in effect, there are judgments to be first made and then acted upon, two distinct actions. I am of the feather of taking the early finesse, since whether West holds 8 diamonds or only 7, he is likely to hold a single club, since, being vulnerable I do not expect him not to have a singleton somewhere (2-2-7-2 is an ugly distribution to be jumping around while vulnerable, especially when RHO has a very strong hand), and if in spades he might have led it, hoping for a black ace from partner.

Hi Bill,

I might understand from your post that both Liam and Jasmine are aggressive and very competent players, especially for their tender age, making them already very tough competitors. No doubt, coming from a bridge playing family is a step forward in learning the high-level game at an early age.

Good luck to them in their pursuit of emulating their famous English father.

Hi again Jim2,

Whether the spades are continued by declarer with either the jack or the nine will matter not once West follows to the second spade.

However, since this was obviously a “real hand” the reporting probably followed true lines and although, especially after the diamond lead, there was no need to risk a diamond overruff at trick two, nevertheless that play was made, proving only that to change horses in mid stream also succeeds, although and even sometimes, without major consternation.

Finally, when only reporting, ours is not always to reason why, especially when youngsters are involved, but only to report do or die.

In reality maybe Tommy was testing whether or not he was a victim of TOCM TM and if he was, no doubt the diamond would have been overruffed with, of course clubs breaking decently.

Of course, even if the above would have occurred it would be a milder form of that dreaded disease, since only bad plays would be targeted by TOCM, not the kind to which you are subjected, “right play, wrong result”.

Hi Bobby,

Your discussion on West probably having short clubs echoes Andrew Robson’s Bols Bridge Tip i.e. play a pre-empter who leads his own suit for a singleton trump. Much of it is based on the relative likelihood of different hand shapes and the lack of a non-side (singleton) side suit lead althouggh perhaps not against a grand slam. Great minds think alike although I do remember Andrew when he was just starting out; he has trained on (in racing parlance) rather well although you were a world champion before he came along.

On a major suit lead, though, what is the best line bearing in mind that S10xxx with East after a heart lead can’t be discounted? Flippantly, if East has a black ace on this auction (as you suggest above) we might have heard about it with the double card pressed through the table.

Regards,

Iain

My question was the statement in the parenthetical.

You see, I do not understand why the KH dropping means that East did not have to hold three spades.

Here is the **precise** hand described by that parenthetical:

—— KQ864
—— AJ832
—— 5
—— 74

1075 ———- 32
K7 ————- 109654
KJ109864 —- 72
6 ————— J985

—— AJ9
—— Q
—— AQ2
—— AKQ1032

East has just the two spades, the second diamond was not over-ruffed, the KH drops early, and West holds the necessary clubs.

So, the play has gone:

– QD
– 2D ruffed (West did NOT have 8 Ds)
– AC
– KC (clubs 1-4)
– AH
– H ruff (KH falls so JH good)
– 9S to KS
– H ruff (declarer has shortened trump holding for coup)

So, now what?

If AS then JS as in column, then the third spade is ruffed.

If JS overtaken by QS before cashing AS, I see two possibilities:

1) JH would let declarer pitch AD, but now what? The next heart is not good, so cannot use it to pitch AS. Lead a spade and East can ruff. Even if East fails to ruff, declarer is in the closed hand with AS and has to lead from Q10 of clubs.

2) JH but pitch AS, but now what? Lead the 8S and pitch a diamond, and West wins the 10S. Lead a heart and East covers it with the 9/10.

Hi Iain,

Yes, you have now reminded me of Andy Robson’s long ago Bols tip. At the time it made sense and magically it still does, even today.

Less than 15 years ago, Judy and I, on the way to perhaps Verona for a WC passed through London for a touristy visit and played one night at his bridge club. We were both pleasantly impressed with his hand records of that session already printed out, perfectly analyzed (or almost), and ready to distribute immediately after the game.

Much effort went into and if only for that, distinguishes itself from other less progressive clubs who, in their defense, may not have the expertise, nor the wherewithal, to duplicate.

However, I am not sure I agree that if partner indeed had a black ace he would then double, but rather save that red card for when he happened to be void in a random suit (not trump) or some such directing partner to an unusual lead, instead of, as you suggest, double to tell your partner to lead his singleton (except when trump).

While I didn’t have you in mind when I voiced that exception, I thought it prudent to say so for others who may take me seriously and, of course, verbatim. “One never knows, do one”?

Hi Jim2,

At trick seven instead of the 9 of spades to the king, rather the ace of spades first then the jack of spades and when West follows overtaking with the queen, to lead first the good jack of hearts discarding declarer’s spade and then the high spade with declarer holding the club tenace and the good ace of diamonds catching East in a trump coup.

The key play which has baffled this discussion is the ace of spades first, before either the jack or the nine to the dummy, then, of course the good jack of hearts, throwing the spade in order to then lead the gueen of spades, allowing South, if not ruffed by East to throw away the ace of diamonds and be in the right hand to effect the coup.

Hopefully the situation is cleared, but otherwise, it is your move.

In the sequence you just stated in your reply, there has been only one heart ruff.

Declarer has NOT shortened his trump holding enough for the coup.

Is this the sequence?

1 – QD
2 – 2D ruffed (West did NOT have 8 Ds)
3 – AC
4 – KC (clubs 1-4)
5 – AH
6 – H ruff (KH falls so JH good)
7 – AS
8 – JS to QS
9 – JH (pitching 9S)
10 QS (pitching AD)
11 some card – East does not ruff – South has only trump left so ruffs
12 South must lead from Q10 clubs

Hi Jim2,

I humbly apologize for just flat out being wrong,

Yes, declarer had failed to ruff himself down to only 2 clubs and then being enabled to remain in dummy to complete the coup.

The spades became tangled so that not possessing the 10 of spades in dummy would have kept him from making the hand. West’s 10 of spades would have turned out to be the key card.

That should teach me not to tangle with you, especially when you were so confident, I feel checkmated, a fate I richly deserve.

No apologies! Please!

I am simply glad I was not going crazy.