[inquiry]

This is not a difficult hand by any means. I show it only because it is so odd. It was played in a 74 table tournment on the BBO on May 28, 2004 and some of our regulars here were in the field that day: Septic played in 7Hx EW for a tremendous score for his side. Paulg and TriTri both played this hand as well, but defended rather than decleared it.

Scoring: IMP

1NT - (5♦) - 5♠ - (6♥)
6♠ - (7♥) - 7♠ - all pass

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Opening lead heart KING, dummy will play the ACE, plan your play.

In this event, tge contract was 7S (or 7Sx ar 7Sxx) 23 times, 7Hx 22 times, 6S 16 times, 6Hx six times. The scores ranged from +2940 (7Sxx) to -1660 for 6HX making. Top NS imp score +18.00, top EW imp score +19.89. Only 7 of 74 pairs failed to bid some slam.

Anyway, I found this interesting. The play is rather mundane. Opening lead HEART KING, and for once you have no concern about the opponents trumping this, as you have all 13 spades split between you and the dummy.

I guess this is probalby from one of the ghoulash tourneys.

[Flame]

throw the diamond on the A of heart, take out the A of club, and drow trumps to squeese east if he got the K of club.(we know he got 7 diamonds)

[Fluffy]

Alternativelly you could try the ruffout squeeze not cahsing ♣A but baring it, wich would cover the impossible option of east having 2♦ .

[inquiry]

Fluffy, on Sep 24 2004, 08:18 AM, said:

Alternativelly you could try the ruffout squeeze not cahsing ♣A but baring it, wich would cover the impossible option of east having 2♦ .

Most excellent!!!

Yes, this hand looks deceptionally easy. A simple vienna coup squeeze, involving pitching a diamond on the heart ACE, Pull one round of trumps just in case you miscounted when you counted up to 13 (safety play for bad counters), Cash club ACE (vienna coup), then run the trumps, coming too...

Vienna coup. When south cashes the spade king and throws a club from dummy, East has to capitulate.

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This vienna coup stands out as very obvious, requiring only that the vulnerable 5♦ preempter over 1NT opening bid has the expected 7 diamonds (I would think he needs 8 diamonds, but alas we have 6 of them ourselves), or even if he bid this with only 6 diamonds (giving West a stingleton) and the club king.

And indeed, the vienna coup wins. But a huge kudos to Fluffy who saw through the obvious to a not quite as obvious line. The criss-cross squeeze she envisions works even if EAST happens to have only 5 diamonds. This is a marked improvelment. Imagine a "clever" East extrapolating a red two suited overcall from teh two level up all the way to the five level (where re all those hearts?). If East happens to have 5H and 5D, the vienna squeeze will not work, as WEST can keep his two diamonds. Fluffy's line works when the vienna coup works, but also in this ending (west wtih 2 diamonds)

Vienna coup. When south cashes the spade king and throws a club from dummy, East has to capitulate.

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So full credit to Flame for the 99.9999% sure vienna coup, and full credit plus extra credit to Fluffy for looking really deeply into this problem. West was void in diamonds, as expected. Full hand....

Vienna coup. When south cashes the spade king and throws a club from dummy, East has to capitulate.

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[Fluffy]

There is a hidden snag for the ruffout/criss cross (I actually prefer criss cross but people like ruff otu more), you will hardly bevlieve east in the end to have 2♦, and you will probably missguess the ending. Of couirse East could drop a ♦ at some point to help....