[Walddk]

Scoring: IMP

West: 3NT
Lead: D4

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This was perhaps the most exciting hand from the European Champions' Cup Final between Parioli Rome, Italy, and Schaltz, Denmark. It's from the final segment where the Italians were ahead by miles. However, the bridge was absolutely great till the end.

As West you have arrived in 3NT after an artificial auction where East has shown 17-19 hcp with 5+ hearts, either balanced or unbalanced. You have told everyone about 6-9 hcp, not 4 spades, no 5-5 or 6-4 shape, and no 7-card suit.

Your LHO is Fulvio Fantoni. After some consideration he leads ♦4. Plan the play please. It may not be as easy as it looks.

Roland

[Walddk]

Jlall, on Oct 18 2005, 01:12 AM, said:

I would pop with the ace, cash the AK of clubs and lead a diamond and hope for the best Too many variations to discuss.

Good play Justin, but it's far from over. I assume that you didn't duck at trick 1 because you feared a spade switch that may result in a blocked club suit.

So you win ♦A, unblock ♣AK and a lead a diamond to North's queen. Now comes the spade switch to South's king and your ace. Exactly what happened at the table with Søren Christiansen as declarer. So you cash your clubs, and then what?

Roland

[cherdano]

Walddk, on Oct 18 2005, 01:19 AM, said:

Jlall, on Oct 18 2005, 01:12 AM, said:

I would pop with the ace, cash the AK of clubs and lead a diamond and hope for the best Too many variations to discuss.

Good play Justin, but it's far from over. I assume that you didn't duck at trick 1 because you feared a spade switch that may result in a blocked club suit.

So you win ♦A, unblock ♣AK and a lead a diamond to North's queen. Now comes the spade switch to South's king and your ace. Exactly what happened at the table with Søren Christiansen as declarer. So you cash your clubs, and then what?

Roland

Exit with a diamond to LHO? This way, I make if either the heart finesse or the ♠Q is on my right. Is there something better?

[cherdano]

Jlall, on Oct 18 2005, 02:11 AM, said:

I'll pitch 2 hearts and a diamond from dummy and get out with a diamond pitching a spade from dummy. If lho comes back a heart, I will finesse. If that loses, I will need rho to have the spade honor. I think that is what cherdano was saying too.

Yes. However, I realized later that I would look pretty silly when RHO has the ♦Q, LHO the ♠Q and the ♥K was onside all along. That would have been very nice defense indeed.

[Walddk]

Christiansen played like that; exited with a diamond to Fantoni's king, and a heart came back. This was the position with 4 cards left:

Scoring: IMP

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Finesse or rise and exit with ♥Q? It was easy to see with all cards in view, but it didn't make it less spectatucar to watch when declarer rose and exited with ♥Q to South's king. Now the inevitable low spade came back and you are on a guess unless LHO has Q10. You know what was right when you see the full layout:

Scoring: IMP

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Søren Christiansen played low from hand, and ♠J became his 9th trick. 1 IMP away after Sementa made 10 tricks at the other table after the same lead (he let it ride).

It was a joy to watch when Christiansen's line succeeded, and I think it was a good one. The Danes were 60 odd IMPs behind at the time, but that doesn't and should not prevent you from playing good bridge.

I confess, ducking at trick 1 would have made life easy, but I think most expert players will agree that playing ♦A is correct.

Roland