I like your line way better than mine which seems to somehow work even though with sight of all four hands, it really shouldn’t.
I focused on the diamond void, took the free finesse, led back a small one to trump, a club back to hand and another small one to trump only to look at all four hands and realize I had cleverly handed over trump control. And, yet, even if East jumps up with the ace on my unsuspecting heart lead at this point, leads back a spade and discards his last diamond on the second spade so South is force to trump high on the board when West leads a fourth diamond – South still cross-trumps his way to a lucky contract scoring the four big trumps separately. And if East ducks, it does him no good as he must helplessly follow suit in the minors until it is too late.
Double-dummy, there is an even sillier way for the contract to come home. Same start, but then lead a second club back instead of a trump, cash fourth diamond and lead out two more clubs. Fourth one is trumped and over-trumped and now the 10H off the board assures two heart tricks to come.
I feel like something along these lines should only be allowed at the Mud Bowl. So many reasons it should fail and, yet, here we are.
Cheers,
Jeff
Iain ClimieMay 7th, 2024 at 11:46 am
HI Bobby, Jeff,
ON the subject of double dummy possibilities, what happens after SA, small spade (or the 10) ruffed by East and a club back (or maybe even HA and another)? I suspect the D lead (although understandable) and the extra trick is needed for declarer to get home here but am happy to be corrected.
Regards,
Iain
A V Ramana RaoMay 7th, 2024 at 2:16 pm
Hi lain
Hope our host approves
If east ruffs spade and returns club, south advanced heart K. If east takes this and returns another heart, dummy wins and south ruffs a spade ( overruffing if necessary) . And if east returns a club south can cash clubs pitching spades, cash A of diamonds, ruff a diamond, south ruffs spade high and leads trump and dummy would be high.
And if east leads A of hearts and heart back, life would be much simpler for south. He wins in dummy, ruffs spade, cash clubs , A of diamonds, ruff diamond and draw outstanding trump. Declarer gets four hearts in dummy, one spade ruff in hand, A of diamonds and four clubs
But I still like what Jeff mentioned. Perhaps Mrs Guggenheim would play like that. Cash two diamonds on lead, advance K of heart. If east ducks, ruff remaining diamonds in dummy
Regards
bobbywolffMay 7th, 2024 at 2:20 pm
Hi Jeff & Iain,
Perhaps our brightest and therefore best use of both the column and the side discussion (here) is best served not to include hands like these, since the all important opening lead,
like here, takes away the value gained, by criticizing a lead, likely well thought out by many, but decidedly not only allowing the contract to be made, but likely only because of trick one.
IOW, most bridge hands benefit by the type thinking which produced the diamond lead, but instead we have punished it, by an otherwise unlikely result, which, in turn, is lifelike, but hardly valuable, if what we think is well done, turns out otherwise harmful to those who
are trying to learn good to excellent reasoning.
But, and no doubt, our game continues to represent itself in a sometimes contrary way of logic, gone sour. At least to me, possibly because I am not left with a choice, unless once
in a while, bridge because naughty, and suddenly offers its own individual and controversial personality by indeed punishing clear thinking.
In any event, it went: “Everyone talks about the weather, but no one ever does anything about it”. Possibly it was “Mark Twain” (Samuel Clemens), but someone please correct me, if I am wrong.
bobbywolffMay 7th, 2024 at 2:40 pm
Hi AVRR,
First, Likely our above posts likely crossed in the air as they both were penned at approximately the same time.
Next, the day which comes, when I do not approve of what you have to say about anything involving our fabulous pass time, will be indeed one of the saddest dark days in my bridge laden life. IOW, I do not want to cross that bridge!
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Hi Bobby,
I like your line way better than mine which seems to somehow work even though with sight of all four hands, it really shouldn’t.
I focused on the diamond void, took the free finesse, led back a small one to trump, a club back to hand and another small one to trump only to look at all four hands and realize I had cleverly handed over trump control. And, yet, even if East jumps up with the ace on my unsuspecting heart lead at this point, leads back a spade and discards his last diamond on the second spade so South is force to trump high on the board when West leads a fourth diamond – South still cross-trumps his way to a lucky contract scoring the four big trumps separately. And if East ducks, it does him no good as he must helplessly follow suit in the minors until it is too late.
Double-dummy, there is an even sillier way for the contract to come home. Same start, but then lead a second club back instead of a trump, cash fourth diamond and lead out two more clubs. Fourth one is trumped and over-trumped and now the 10H off the board assures two heart tricks to come.
I feel like something along these lines should only be allowed at the Mud Bowl. So many reasons it should fail and, yet, here we are.
Cheers,
Jeff
HI Bobby, Jeff,
ON the subject of double dummy possibilities, what happens after SA, small spade (or the 10) ruffed by East and a club back (or maybe even HA and another)? I suspect the D lead (although understandable) and the extra trick is needed for declarer to get home here but am happy to be corrected.
Regards,
Iain
Hi lain
Hope our host approves
If east ruffs spade and returns club, south advanced heart K. If east takes this and returns another heart, dummy wins and south ruffs a spade ( overruffing if necessary) . And if east returns a club south can cash clubs pitching spades, cash A of diamonds, ruff a diamond, south ruffs spade high and leads trump and dummy would be high.
And if east leads A of hearts and heart back, life would be much simpler for south. He wins in dummy, ruffs spade, cash clubs , A of diamonds, ruff diamond and draw outstanding trump. Declarer gets four hearts in dummy, one spade ruff in hand, A of diamonds and four clubs
But I still like what Jeff mentioned. Perhaps Mrs Guggenheim would play like that. Cash two diamonds on lead, advance K of heart. If east ducks, ruff remaining diamonds in dummy
Regards
Hi Jeff & Iain,
Perhaps our brightest and therefore best use of both the column and the side discussion (here) is best served not to include hands like these, since the all important opening lead,
like here, takes away the value gained, by criticizing a lead, likely well thought out by many, but decidedly not only allowing the contract to be made, but likely only because of trick one.
IOW, most bridge hands benefit by the type thinking which produced the diamond lead, but instead we have punished it, by an otherwise unlikely result, which, in turn, is lifelike, but hardly valuable, if what we think is well done, turns out otherwise harmful to those who
are trying to learn good to excellent reasoning.
But, and no doubt, our game continues to represent itself in a sometimes contrary way of logic, gone sour. At least to me, possibly because I am not left with a choice, unless once
in a while, bridge because naughty, and suddenly offers its own individual and controversial personality by indeed punishing clear thinking.
In any event, it went: “Everyone talks about the weather, but no one ever does anything about it”. Possibly it was “Mark Twain” (Samuel Clemens), but someone please correct me, if I am wrong.
Hi AVRR,
First, Likely our above posts likely crossed in the air as they both were penned at approximately the same time.
Next, the day which comes, when I do not approve of what you have to say about anything involving our fabulous pass time, will be indeed one of the saddest dark days in my bridge laden life. IOW, I do not want to cross that bridge!
Nothing more, but definitely NOTHING LESS!