BBO Discussion Forums: Slam - Best line of play? - BBO Discussion Forums

This hand arose today in the European Open.

In this case it was in a match between France Open Senior and Vinci.

Both reached 6♣

The first time it was played, the French declarer played A♣(playing for the drop) and the stripped the hand of ♠ and ♦

He then threw in East, who was forced to play a ♥ or yield a ruff and discard. When the K♥ was wrong, he was minus one.

The Italian declarer took the successful trump finesse and then almost made a mess of the hand. (worth replaying). All he had to do (after stripping ♦/♠ was run the Q♥. West must then give him a free finesse in ♥ or a ruff/discard.)

The commentators expressed dismay at the way the French declarer played the hand. They praised the Italian for his line (and criticized him for almost making a mess of it then.)

What I'd like to know is this......

Was the French declarer correct in combining chances by cashing A♣ first and then playing for the 50% (I think) chance of the K♥ being right, rather than the straight 50% ♣ finesse?

Or was the Italian correct (as the commentators seemed to think) in finessing in trumps?

Did the French declarer, in fact, give himself and tiny extra percentage?

It was board 14 this morning.

Thanks.

D.

Dinarius, on 2017-June-19, 13:19, said:

Not sure what the French declarer was trying to achieve here, because getting a ruff and sluff wouldn't help one bit.

Dinarius, on 2017-June-19, 13:19, said:

I didn't watch the match but, IMO, the Italian declarer's line is better. (In the French declarer's line, if RHO had held ♥Kx(x), then he could give declarer a ruff/discard to defeat the contract).

nullve, on 2017-June-19, 14:22, said:

Yes, of course, you're right.

Even if the player with ♣️K also has the ❤️K - which he must have for the French line to have any chance, he can lead away from it coz North's third ❤️ means there's no ruff and discard, or at least it still leaves him with a losing ❤️

But, while the Italian started correctly, his finish was almost as bad. Encouraging for mere mortals like me. 😊

D.

Dinarius, on 2017-June-19, 13:19, said:

I was commentator and if you check the BBO records I wrote in my comment (as a reply to Ritong (Henri Schweitzer) that French player's line would not work if defenders decided to play ruff'n sluff, unless ♦J dropped. At one table declarer received a ♦ lead and won with ♦T. I think that was Mr. Vinci declaring. In that case the French player line could make sense but not without the ♦ lead.

But note that 1♠ overcall played a big role in the line of French player. If you convince yourself that the ♣K is off-side, then I have sympathy to his line. Most West players did not overcall or they just overcalled 2♠.

Dinarius, on 2017-June-19, 15:24, said:

As we said already ruff'n sluff ruins the endplay but if it did not, then the player with ♣K (WEST) playing under his ♥ J would also solve the problem, so he does not need to hold ♥K in order the endplay to work. That does not work, however, when E has the ♣K.