To Err is Human

By ‘Goren in a Box’

We can’t resist pointing out that the title of this article is part of a quotation by the celebrated actress Mae West: ‘To err is human – but it feels divine!’

Board 21 of round 4 separated the humans from the machines. The nine pairs who reached 6 were quite content to be there, until the trumps turned out to misbehave.

A 7
8 5
A K Q 8 7 4 2
K 6
.
.
9 8 5
A Q 4 3
5
A J 7 4 2

Eight declarers continued by cashing K and playing a club to the jack, with a quick two down as a result. I gave the hands to GIB, the amazing bridge program of the American professor Matt Ginsberg. After discovering the trump break, GIB thought for a minute and played the third high diamond, K and a club to the…ace. A club ruff, heart finesse and another club ruff followed. A was still in dummy as an entry to the fifth club, the parking place for the spade loser.

So GIB does it again, here outplaying eight out of nine expert declarers. We all laughed when the World Chess Champion Gary Kasparov was being terrorized by Deep Blue, but humiliation is on its way for us too…

The only "machine" under the nine declarers was Belarus’ young talent Sotniku, who copied GIB’s line of play card for card. A quick analysis shows that Sotniku and GIB are correct. By refusing to finesse Q you give up the chance on Qxx onside with K offside, but in return you not only get the extra chance of K onside and Qxx offside, but also K onside with either  Qx or Qxxx offside.
 

.
W/EW Bd21	A 7
	8 5
	A K Q 8 7 4 2
	K 6
K 4 3		Q J 10 6 2
10 7		K J 9 6 2
J 9 6 3		10
Q 9 5 3		10 8
	9 8 5
	A Q 4 3
	5
	A J 7 4 2

Thanks to Onno Eskes (Netherlands) for this fascinating – and disturbing article.