View Full Version : Which way to sway ?
(N)
AJ7
A742
K6432
9
Q10962
KJ105
A8
K10
(S)
South North
1S 2D
2H 4H
Versace on your left leads the D5 on the go.
Where do you win ?
Which suit you play ?
In which way ?
(N)
AJ7
A742
K6432
9
Q10962
KJ105
A8
K10
(S)
South North
1S 2D
2H 4H
Versace on your left leads the D5 on the go.
Where do you win ?
Which suit you play ?
In which way ?
I would win DA and play a spade to SJ. If it wins I play a club,
PGosney
10-04-07, 10:46 PM
I would win the diamond in dummy and play a club to the ten. Hopefully this cuts down the defenders options if something nasty happens, and I get the feeling it will soon. Not sure what I'll do next, probably play low to the Jack of hearts on the first round for control if hearts are 4-1.
It looks as though trumps are 3-2. If they aren't, a club lead would be normal, from either hand, to start a forcing defence.
However, you might try to protect against a 4-1 trump break by winning DK on table and playing a club to the K. If east wins and delivers a diamond ruff and the spade finesse loses, I will play east for the HQ on the basis that west wouldn't be looking for a ruff holding the HQ.
However, all this could be wrong if Versace is a Garozzo disciple, as Garozzo is a strong advocate of singleton leads.
Sartaj wrote:
AJ7
A742
K6432
9
Q10962
KJ105
A8
K10
South North
1S 2D
2H 4H
Versace on your left leads the D5 on the go.
I assume it's IMPs.
Just how good is Versace? Is he good enough to know that with Qxxx against a 4-4 fit, you should pretend to lead a singleton so that declarer cashes
the AK of trumps? I think that he and most top Italians received the Garozzo training, usually via the coaching of Rinaldi and/or Mosca, but is this tip included in that training? Hard to say.
Versace does rate only 800/1000 on the SH Bridge Knowledge Scale (details available on request, I think). Is the above concept one of the 200 missing items in Versace's knowledge? Perhaps.
The diamond at first glance looks like an obvious singleton, but if Versace doesn't want to randomly lead CA like a palooka would (because the strong hand on his right must be a good chance to hold CK), then if Versace has HQ, he eliminates hearts, clubs and spades (declarer's 2nd suit, ugly) and thus leads a diamond by default!
I think there is more evidence that Versace has HQ than evidence that the diamond is a singleton!
If trumps are 3-2, one can play HAK and claim.
Almost all top Europeans lead singletons almost routinely, especially if they have four trumps against a 4-4 fit, when the singleton lead is ultra-threatening, because all trumps must be removed to prevent any ruffs.
Khokan's idea that leading clubs with four trumps is normal defence applies against a 5-3 fit when the five-trump hand might be short in your long suit, the so-called Forcing Defence. The bidding has revealed a 4-4 fit, making a forcing defence unattractive with four weakish trumps (unless the defender holds Axxx or better in trumps).
Klinger in his newspaper column discussed this "people don't lead singletons when they have trump queen" idea, an idea which had never occurred to me until I read it in his newpaper column. However, in many of the hands in his columns on this topic, and on many of mine in real life, the singleton leader does have the trump queen. So I think this saying is probably about as valid as "when in doubt, lead trumps" (I hope we all know that one is rubbish).
If hearts are indeed 4-1, then "DK, heart to king and run HJ" is not good enough. I can't draw a third trump without risk, and if I leave two trumps out, two diamond ruffs are possible.
Playing on spades might lead to a spade ruff. Not my cup of tea.
I am rather interested in what card East plays when I play DK from dummy at Trick One. My inclination is to play a club to the king at Trick 2, even if that risks losing trump control. Later I will probably play Versace for HQ.
This is a good hand Sartaj - it reminds me of Ish's recent one where I had egg on my face, as is often the case. However, in the liong run, I think I win more IMPs than I lose.
So DK then club to king.
Peter Gill.
i decided to do what paul did
"Klinger in his newspaper column discussed this "people don't lead singletons when they have trump queen" idea, an idea which had never occurred to me until I read it in his newpaper column. However, in many of the hands in his columns on this topic, and on many of mine in real life, the singleton leader does have the trump queen. So I think this saying is probably about as valid as "when in doubt, lead trumps" (I hope we all know that one is rubbish)."
i think its reasonable not to look for ruffs when you have a promising trump holding - i think leading trumps is generally stupid and leading them because your not sure whats a good lead is always stupid
I would win the diamond in dummy and play a club to the ten. Hopefully this cuts down the defenders options if something nasty happens, and I get the feeling it will soon. Not sure what I'll do next, probably play low to the Jack of hearts on the first round for control if hearts are 4-1.
AJ7
A742
K6432
9
Q10962
KJ105
A8
K10
Ok, since majority is swaying with Gosney. Who knows with "Paul" markey is backing ?
Trick one
D5 - K - 7 - 8
C9 - 6 - K - A
DJ - 2 - Q - A
Now ?
I think Phil Markey is backing Paul Marston.
I think it will be at least a few years before we are all following Paul Gosney without having to mention his surname.
Peter Gill.
Interesting play problem Sartaj,
When I read it the first time I was going to win DA and exit with the club K
However upon thinking and discussing the play problem it also occurred to me that on this hand if I was playing in 4H then I would be playing in the wrong contract.
Surely one of the reasons we play in our 4/4 fits rather than our 5/3 fits is to utilize the pitches of our long suit. Here North has such a weak heart suit and unlikely useful pitches on the spades why wouldn?t they bid 4S in preference to 4H.
The auction seems normal at first glance but maybe that?s where it went wrong.
But then again we wouldn?t have a play problem then
From the European Championships.
Fantoni Nunes bid to 4S making.
When the German declarer played this hand in 4H, he went down by playing a heart at trick two.
AJ7
A742
K6432
9
xx Kxx
Q8xx 9
Jx Q1097
AQJxx xxxxx
Q10962
KJ105
A8
K10
Those who won DK @ trick one and played a club, my take on the rest of the play is C loses, diamond back to ace, spade to jack and king, diamond ruffed with the heart jack as versace pitches a spade, heart king, heart to eight and West has trump control control.
A better play is to ruff low on the third diamond but LHO will pitch on this and ruff the third round of spades to play a club and you are down again.
Those who won DA @ trick one and played a spade to jack, my take on the play is spade loses to K, a club return to Ace and another club forcing a ruff in dummy. A low heart to the nine, jack and Queen. A third club giving a ruff and discard, ruff low, unblock the ace of hearts, cross back to the spade queen,
draw trumps (pitching away dummy's ace of spades) to make contract.
Is it better perhaps not to tap dummy with a club and play a diamond instead ?
There are a lot of subvariants in the play and defence and anyone who can think of a better variation is welcome to post an opinion.
Might Deep Finesse it later tonight.
By the way, interesting points from Peter and Adam about the 5/3 fit vs 4/4 fit. I had never heard of Peter's great observation about how the forcing defence is much better when attacking a 5/3 fit. I belong to the Garozzo school -- Lead my singletons and leave the fancy tapping stuff to the other dudes.
A better play is to ruff low on the third diamond but LHO will pitch on this and ruff the third round of spades to play a club and you are down again.
Deep Finesse points out ruffing low works. When West pitches a spade, (having taken two rounds of trumps) we play a spade to the Ace next (which west cant afford to ruff), now we ruff a diamond in hand and with dummy's diamond being good, we have regained trump control (continue spades)
i meant marston - gosney is gosney to me until there is an introduction
i find it interesting that there is obviously a lot of thought as to what style a defender has when contemplating what his lead means - versace found a clever lead but i think its auto to play him for a singleton on this hand and in the future - i just dont think its auto to play trumps at trick 2 regardless of what you think he has led from and paul's line looks the most comfortable to me
isnt it always right to pay out to a clever lead that happens to work ? - i figure the alternative is to create a new dimension where only your opponent can benefit - ie he finds a mundane lead that you interpret as a clever lead
"known" poker players benefit greatly from being "legendary" at the clever but expert at the mundane
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