For many of us, much of bridge is attempting to avoid stupid mistakes. How many of us might have won our session or match, had we simply remembered to count out a hand, pull trump, or pay attention to the bidding?
Once in a while, however, we deliver a clever play or bid. When we do - particularly if the outcome results in success - it's a thrill.
For a few of us, however, a true brilliancy seems to occur more frequently than most of the rest of us put together. Today, John Koch describes such players and such plays.
Enjoy - and - admire this brilliancy.
This is an interesting defense and the question I have is whether the play up to the four card ending was really as you describe in your narrative.
If the heart layout is correct, your heart endplay can be defeated if Helgemo discards the blocking heart eight in preference of a lower one and Helness keeps all his hearts.
This is certainly not beyond a pair like Helness Helgemo.
Helgemo can see the end-play coming and Torness that there is no defense, unless partner has both rounded suit kings.
I at least would not have awarded a brilliancy price unless Helness Helgemo defended as suggested above.
However, declarer made a subtle error when he covered the heart ten in dummy at trick three. (There is no point in covering)
Without that there is no defense to the endplay.
Posted by: Rainer Herrmann | January 14, 2013 at 05:42 AM