Paul Soloway’s unlock is interesting as he obviously assumed Hamman would start with a small club from Axx(x) or similar. Still very brave and far easier to find after the event.
Iain
bobbywolffMay 2nd, 2022 at 4:34 pm
Hi Iain,
Yes, but not as brave as it is necessary and very logical.
Having only 2 of them, Soloway knew that unless Hamman had the queen there was no chance to defeat them. He also knew that Hamman MUST posses either the queen (when he led the ace) unless he had only two of them (very unlikely with the bidding and play up to then), but also impossible to conceive of Hamman not leading a small one, if he held 3 or more (catering to partner having the necessary king to defeat the contract and 100% knowing that his partner will throw the king if he had only Kx and not Kxx to which there would be no necessity to do so, while co-incidentally saving an overtrick if he did not possess the king. Hamman woud lead a small one from either Axx, or Axxx, catering to partner holding Kx, Kxx,or KJ10, and making declarer guess if he held Q10x, leaving partner with KJx.
Ain’t bridge a grand game?
Such are the thought processes of two super players, without a chance of not being up to doing it.
Yes, and, of course, a card position sometimes difficult for a vu-graph commentator (unless an expert) together with the audience to immediately grasp, but, in fact, for Bob not to have led the ace, but, instead had led small, the commentator should mention that he made the wrong play since he risked giving away that overtrick, although he would have achieved the same result, but in an inferior way.
I also left out the possibility (if there was one, since I am too lazy to check it out) of partner also having a singleton K.
Finally the major point to store away is to what measures top players go to defeat contracts at IMPs or rubber bridge, completely different at matchpoints, at least to me, since that game is so markedly inferior to the game itself when it comes to having to be so concerned about trivial overtricks with often, no accurate science to rely on.
The attitude should always be, while developing any form of mind concentration, is to go as far as possible to totally eliminate as much luck as possible.
The casinos in my current home town have rigidly seen to that, by joining up totally with the “irrefutable” LAW OF AVERAGES”!
Thanks always for your comments.
Iain ClimieMay 2nd, 2022 at 5:54 pm
Thanks Bobby/
A quick word on today’s quote – Shelley seems to have been a bit of a ladies’ man viz:
I never was attached to that great sect
Which states that each one should select
Out of the crowd one,
and all the rest,
though fair or wise,
consign to cold oblivion.
Eloquent but probably still not that well received by his wife, Mary Wolsencrafte and you’ll be aware of what she wrote.
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Bridge-related
Hi Bobby,
Paul Soloway’s unlock is interesting as he obviously assumed Hamman would start with a small club from Axx(x) or similar. Still very brave and far easier to find after the event.
Iain
Hi Iain,
Yes, but not as brave as it is necessary and very logical.
Having only 2 of them, Soloway knew that unless Hamman had the queen there was no chance to defeat them. He also knew that Hamman MUST posses either the queen (when he led the ace) unless he had only two of them (very unlikely with the bidding and play up to then), but also impossible to conceive of Hamman not leading a small one, if he held 3 or more (catering to partner having the necessary king to defeat the contract and 100% knowing that his partner will throw the king if he had only Kx and not Kxx to which there would be no necessity to do so, while co-incidentally saving an overtrick if he did not possess the king. Hamman woud lead a small one from either Axx, or Axxx, catering to partner holding Kx, Kxx,or KJ10, and making declarer guess if he held Q10x, leaving partner with KJx.
Ain’t bridge a grand game?
Such are the thought processes of two super players, without a chance of not being up to doing it.
Yes, and, of course, a card position sometimes difficult for a vu-graph commentator (unless an expert) together with the audience to immediately grasp, but, in fact, for Bob not to have led the ace, but, instead had led small, the commentator should mention that he made the wrong play since he risked giving away that overtrick, although he would have achieved the same result, but in an inferior way.
I also left out the possibility (if there was one, since I am too lazy to check it out) of partner also having a singleton K.
Finally the major point to store away is to what measures top players go to defeat contracts at IMPs or rubber bridge, completely different at matchpoints, at least to me, since that game is so markedly inferior to the game itself when it comes to having to be so concerned about trivial overtricks with often, no accurate science to rely on.
The attitude should always be, while developing any form of mind concentration, is to go as far as possible to totally eliminate as much luck as possible.
The casinos in my current home town have rigidly seen to that, by joining up totally with the “irrefutable” LAW OF AVERAGES”!
Thanks always for your comments.
Thanks Bobby/
A quick word on today’s quote – Shelley seems to have been a bit of a ladies’ man viz:
I never was attached to that great sect
Which states that each one should select
Out of the crowd one,
and all the rest,
though fair or wise,
consign to cold oblivion.
Eloquent but probably still not that well received by his wife, Mary Wolsencrafte and you’ll be aware of what she wrote.
Regards,
Iain