[Fluffy]

Click here to play the hand

The European Bridge Championships were held in Salsomaggiore in 1985, and there it is where the spanish master José de Blas faced this problem and solved it.

If you have and old version of IE you can see the problem on the spoiler

Spoiler

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Find the killing lead

[Lord Molyb]

Spoiler

Heart is obvious.

[broze]

Lord Molyb, on 2013-July-10, 19:06, said:

Spoiler

Pretty inconsiderate to post this in plain sight. Spoilt the problem. If you must 'show off' please use the spoiler tags.

[Antrax]

I'm wondering about the reasoning.

Spoiler

I led a passive diamond and the computer finessed against me after winning the lead. Presumably the inference was that you should lead a trump against a grand slam and if I didn't it means I expected it might give something away. But I also wouldn't have led a trump holding a singleton and knowing about a 4-4 fit, so why won't the computer finesse the other way?

[Fluffy]

Antrax, on 2013-July-10, 23:16, said:

I'm wondering about the reasoning.

Spoiler

I led a passive diamond and the computer finessed against me after winning the lead. Presumably the inference was that you should lead a trump against a grand slam and if I didn't it means I expected it might give something away. But I also wouldn't have led a trump holding a singleton and knowing about a 4-4 fit, so why won't the computer finesse the other way?

If you click the orange button where it shows results it gives you an explanation

[Antrax]

Two comments:
- It takes forever for that screen with the orange button to load (several seconds on my computer). That's why I missed it.
- It doesn't address my question But I figured it out in the meantime:

Spoiler

Not leading a heart means you have ♥Qx, ♥Qxx, ♥Qxxx or ♥x. It's more likely you have one of the queen holdings than one of the four non-queen singleton holdings

This post has been edited by inquiry: 2013-July-15, 09:48
Reason for edit: I have somehow downvoted this post. To begin with I didn't know anyone down-vote anymore, apparently admins can. :( Second, I don't even remember reading this post before my down-vote was reported to me. I can't remove it. Sorry Antrax... acci

[Fluffy]

its not ofrever, its jsut that it requires an aditional click after the claim, I will fix it.

[Cyberyeti]

Spoiler

Hmm, there are too many examples recently where the trump lead has cost a grand, the one (in final of the US trials a few years back ?) where dummy had KJ opposite A10xxxx being a prime example. I certainly rarely lead trumps now on this kind of leaping cuebidding auction and restrict my trump leads from 2 or less to where they've keycarded and told me they have the Q (and at least 9 of them before I lead a stiff trump).

Also for Fluffy, you have a typo in the final article, lading should be leading

[Fluffy]

Antrax, on 2013-July-11, 03:02, said:

Spoiler

Not leading a heart means you have ♥Qx, ♥Qxx, ♥Qxxx or ♥x. It's more likely you have one of the queen holdings than one of the four non-queen singleton holdings

Spoiler

I forgot to say it on the article, but the lead is also the best one when ♥AK are in dummy

[Fluffy]

Cyberyeti, on 2013-July-11, 03:24, said:

Spoiler

Hmm, there are too many examples recently where the trump lead has cost a grand, the one (in final of the US trials a few years back ?) where dummy had KJ opposite A10xxxx being a prime example. I certainly rarely lead trumps now on this kind of leaping cuebidding auction and restrict my trump leads from 2 or less to where they've keycarded and told me they have the Q (and at least 9 of them before I lead a stiff trump).

Also for Fluffy, you have a typo in the final article, lading should be leading

Spoiler

Thx, I fixed that.

I also remember on he NEC cup 3 or 4 years ago, after a bidding that went something like 1♠-2♥-4♠-5♠-6♠ my partner led a spade from xxx. Dummy had void and I had ♠Kx lol.

[Cyberyeti]

Quote

Spoiler

I also remember on he NEC cup 3 or 4 years ago, after a bidding that went something like 1♠-2♥-4♠-5♠-6♠ my partner led a spade from xxx. Dummy had void and I had ♠Kx lol.

Spoiler

I also remember holding AQJxxxxxxx, -, -, xxx and discovering partner had an 0454 18 ish so I bid 6♠, RHO with Kx listened to the auction and doubled. Sure enough, partner had void, AQxx, AQxx, KQJxx and on a red suit lead (both hooks were wrong) I was -1X with everybody else -1 except at one table, where somebody I've subsequently partnered also doubled and his partner led a trump, so we didn't manage a matchpoint between us

[Fluffy]

promising start for your partnership

[gszes]

I hate to burst a bubble here but I will almost always avoid a trump lead into a probable
44 fit with xx and xxx as well so IMO this automatic assumption about the heart suit is
nothing more than a post-mortem justification for something that went right sorry.

[Fluffy]

No need to be sorry gszes, you are simply wrong, you fail to see the logic that a simple 51%-49% is a 100% sure to be played one way by any competetent declarer.

[cherdano]

When I try this, I am sure they will be in a 5-4 fit.