Susanna Gross

Bridge | 24 October 2013

issue 26 October 2013

It’s difficult for non-players to imagine the extent to which bridge hands can torment us. I’ve spent hours this week mulling over a fiendishly complicated slam, endlessly jotting down diagrams on bits of paper and snapping at my children whenever they interrupted my train of thought. I described it last time — it was played by Fulvio Fantoni and won Declarer Play of the Year. When I showed it to the manager of TGRs, Artur Malinowski, he spotted a superior line. See what you think:

East had passed and then made a take-out double (vul), strongly suggesting a void in hearts. Fantoni won the ♣ lead and played a low heart to dummy’s 7. He then ran the ♣10, discarding a diamond. West won and played a heart to dummy’s 10. Now came the ♣9, covered by the ♣K and ruffed with the Q. The rest was easy: ace of hearts, heart to the king, two winning clubs and a spade finesse. The drawback of Fantoni’s line is that it requires West to hold three clubs — with only 2, if East doesn’t cover the ♣9, declarer must ruff high and West eventually makes his J.

Malinowski’s line succeeds when West has three or two clubs. Remember, if West has two clubs, he must have at least two diamonds, otherwise he’d have six spades: impossible, given East’s take-out double. Here’s Malinowski’s solution: at trick 2, play the ♠J from hand! East’s best return is probably a diamond. Declarer wins and discards two diamonds on the ♠AQ. Next comes the K. If West follows (or discards), declarer discards a club, then plays a trump to the 7, ruffs a club, ruffs a diamond, ruffs a club high, ruffs a diamond, ruffs a club high, and is left with a top trump in dummy.

If West ruffs theK, declarer over-ruffs, ruffs a club to hand, plays a trump to dummy, ruffs a club low, ruffs a diamond, ruffs a club high, ruffs a diamond high and ruffs his last club high (poor West is forced to under-ruff twice).

Good luck trying to grasp it all. I for one never want to think about this hand again!

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