The Schnapsen Log

The Last Trump (solution)

Martin Tompa

Concealed cards:
♠ K
♥ A
♣ TQ
♦ QJ

Your cards:
♠ T
♥ T
♣ AKJ
♦ —

Trump: ♠J
Stock: Open, 1 face-down card
Game points: Tibor 1, You 3
Trick points: Tibor 40, You 28
Lead: ♦Q

As you know by now, the first thing you should consider, when there is one face-down card in the stock and your opponent is on lead, is ducking. If you are going to duck, it would certainly be good to ditch that ♥T so that Tibor cannot cash his ♥A. When you do that, Tibor will be on lead from this position.

Tibor: (53 points)
♠ K
♥ A
♣ TQ
♦ J

You: (28 points)
♠ TJ
♥ —
♣ AKJ
♦ —

Tibor will surely continue with ♦J in order to force you to trump. You trump with ♠J and have now reached the critical moment.

Tibor: (53 points)
♠ K
♥ A
♣ TQ
♦ —

You: (32 points)
♠ T
♥ —
♣ AKJ
♦ —

If you are worried about Tibor’s trump and decide to pull it now, you have fallen from grace. That would leave you to open the club suit and, no matter how you do it, Tibor will win both ♣T and ♥A, giving him the game.

No, you need to hold on to your trump so that Tibor cannot cash his ♥A, so tackle the club suit now. Cash ♣A and exit with ♣J, which allows Tibor to get very close to 66.

Tibor: (65 points)
♠ K
♥ A
♣ —
♦ —

You: (46 points)
♠ T
♥ —
♣ K
♦ —

Now do you recognize the endplay you have made? It is a counterforce. Tibor cannot force you to trump again by leading ♥A, because trumping that brings you to 67 trick points. His only other option is to help you pull trumps by leading ♠K, and then you will cash ♣K and win anyway.

© 2020 Martin Tompa. All rights reserved.

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