The Schnapsen Log

A Second Ounce of Prevention (solution)

Martin Tompa

Here is how things look when Katharina is about to cash her ♥T:

Concealed cards:
♠ —
♥ T
♣ AQ
♦ AK

Your cards:
♠ —
♥ —
♣ KJ
♦ TQ

Trump: ♥J
Trick points: Katharina 26, You 54

Things look bleak, don’t they? If Katharina is holding both aces, which is likely, she will cash them for a grand total of 26 + 10 + 11 + 11 + 2 + 4 + 3 = 67 trick points. If she is missing ♦A, then even if you discard a club on her ♥T she can only reach a total of 26 + 10 + 11 + 3 + 2 + 4 + 3 = 59 trick points before giving up the last diamond trick. But what if she is missing ♣A? In that one case, here is the position:

Katharina: (26 points)
♠ —
♥ T
♣ Q
♦ AK

You: (54 points)
♠ —
♥ —
♣ KJ
♦ TQ

Do you see what you have to do?

If you thoughtlessly make the obvious discard of ♣J on her ♥T, she will have 38 trick points and throw you in by leading ♣Q. You will then be forced to open up the diamond suit, giving her the last 28 trick points and just enough to win. No, it is imperative that you jettison your dangerous entry ♣K on her ♥T! This clever unblocking play deprives her of any entry into your hand for the throw-in. She can cash ♣Q and ♦A but will only reach a total of 59 trick points before giving up the last diamond trick.

Your discard of ♣K is both an unblocking play and a desperation play, as it makes a difference in only the one case when ♣A is the last face-down card in the stock. By making this discard, you are assuming one of the few distributions of the cards that can give you a success.

© 2015 Martin Tompa. All rights reserved.

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