The Schnapsen Log
Show of Force (solution)
Martin Tompa
There is only one possible way for Tibor to proceed and have a chance of winning. He must cash his winning ♦A and force Peter to use a trump by leading ♦J. This will be the position after Peter trumps, say with his ♣K:
Peter: (25 points)
♠ —
♥ T
♣ AJ
♦ —Tibor: (49 points)
♠ —
♥ —
♣ TQ
♦ T
When you planned the play, did you work out that Peter is actually endplayed at this point? Tibor has executed a counterforce play. Peter would like to reinstate his trump control by forcing Tibor back with ♥T, but Tibor would trump this with his ♣T and reach 69 trick points. Peter has only two other plays available from this position. He can cash his ♣A, crossing the 33-point threshold, and then help Tibor pull trumps by leading ♣J, after which Tibor will take the remaining tricks. Or he can lead ♣J immediately, which is what he decides to do, because it gives Tibor one more chance to make a mistake. Tibor is now on lead from this position:
Peter: (25 points)
♠ —
♥ T
♣ A
♦ —Tibor: (61 points)
♠ —
♥ —
♣ Q
♦ T
Tibor knows his brother has only one more trump, so he forces once more with ♦T and wins the last trick with his remaining trump.
“Well played, Tibor,” his brother says with a congratulatory smile. “Do you know that Hans and I named that kind of play a ‘counterforce’? Let me tell you about the time we discovered it together …”
© 2013 Martin Tompa. All rights reserved.
