Re: Deep Finesse gets this right

On Apr 24, 4:43 am, Steve Willner <swill...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> But it's harder when you can't see all the cards....
>
>    Dealer East
>    NS Vul
>    IMP Pairs
>
>            North
>            K75
>            AK62
>            76432
>            3
>    West               East
>    JT62               -
>    QT97               J4
>    QT                 AKJ8
>    764                AQJ9852
>            South
>            AQ9843
>            853
>            95
>            KT
>    West   North  East   South
>                  1C!    1S
>    Pass!  2S     3C     Pass
>    Pass   3H     Pass   3S
>    Dbl    All Pass
>
> 1C was strong and artificial; West's pass showed any bad hand (less than
> a decent 5-count).  NS have no two-suited methods over the strong club;
> their bidding was natural.
>
> Q1. What do you think of the bidding, especially by EW?
>
> West led C-4 (count leads).  East played C-A and three rounds of
> diamonds, declarer ruffing with S-9 and West discarding H-7 (low
> encourages).  Declarer drew three rounds of trumps ending in dummy and
> ruffed a diamond; the only additional trick for the defense was West's
> high trump.
>
> Deep Finesse says the double-dummy result is 8 tricks.  As far as I can
> tell, the defense achieves this only by switching to hearts before
> playing the third round of diamonds.
>
> Q2. Can defenders beat the contract without a peek?  How?  Assign the
> blame, if you will.

  West   North  East   South
                        1C!      1S
   Pass!   2S      3C     Pass
   Pass    3H    Pass     3S
   Dbl    All Pass

 Dealer East
   NS Vul
   IMP Pairs

           North
           K75
           AK62
           76432
           3
   West               East
   JT62               -
   QT97               J4
   QT                 AKJ8
   764                AQJ9852
           South
           AQ9843
           853
           95
           KT
An interesting hand, 14 RP points in one hand and 6 RP in the weak one
(after the adjustments) = 20 RP or 11 tricks (on a finesse), not an
easy hand to bid. However East should have bid 3S (implying either a
very strong hand or a very fitting hand) after their 3H bid, West
should bid then 4C. After all, East is holding a very strong seven
carder with a side diamond suit, a void in the opponent's primary suit
and a doubleton in North's heart suit. The 3S contract should have
gone down but I am not surprised it made.

Boris