Halloween Bridge

spooky ……

I watched and commented on a Swedish IMP PairTrials match today.  I saw a fascinating hand which featured  a very interesting defense.  Here is the deal.  The defenders were Peter Fredin, Björn Fallenuis pictured below.

You are playing 3NT from the North hand. West passed in first chair and there was no opposition bidding. You showed a 2NT type hand and you partner checked for a spade fit. The opening lead was the H6 which was covered by the H7 and HJ and your HA.  You look like you might scramble nine tricks but it is not clear where they will come from.  Anyway you decide to play a club to the C10 which seemed reasonable. 

Now you are West.  You win the CA and have to decide what to do.  It is not clear what the H6 is from.  Does East have a doubleton heart or a tripleton?  Systemically you would not lead the 6 from any tripleton holding.  You really prefer to get the heart play from partner’s side so you decide to lead a diamond.  You find the rather spectacular play of the D4.  Perhaps you are being tricky.  Perhaps you want to save your diamond honor. 

Declarer has to figure out what is happening on this defense.  From the opening lead it seems unlikely that East has five clubs and it appears the he holds at least three or four clubs including the queen.  Four seems most likely for the duck but certainly not sure.  It looks like he has two hearts and based on the diamond play perhaps three diamonds.  Anyway, you can see it is impossible to work much out.  Rising on the DA is best but who can figure that out.  North put in the DQ.  A diamond came back West playing the DJ.  It is still completely unclear what is going on.   Playing West for the diamond length North ducked. 

I think it is the wrong play.  But who can blame you.  Declarer is not at all sure where the ninth trick is coming from and he doesn’t know  that the C9 and the SJ are coming down, but if some good things don’t happen he is never making this hand.  East is going to get the lead on the CQ and if he ducks the diamond, a heart may come back.  

Now it was up to West, Fallenius, to find the switch to the HQ.   And he did.  I would hate to play against defenders like these.  Somehow their carding tells the wrong story and they figure out the right thing to do anyway.  Fortunately I rarely have to.

Perhaps this was good defense or perhaps you think that declarer should have done better.  But the bridge was fascinating to watch.

…………….

I have eaten my fill of Halloween candy and I have my strength up to watch some more bridge tomorrow.  I have done a first pass at all of Love, Bridge Squeeze Complete.  We may end up dropping the problems at the end of the book (we added some new ones too).  It is getting too long.  Maybe I will post them as a free download instead. 

So now its just some revision and some decisions.  Sylvia and I are going to practice tomorrow.  There is a post-Love life.