A Benito Garozzo’s Famous Hand

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December 24 1984 by B. Jay y Steve Becker

Lorenzo Lauria

This deal occurred during the 1980 World Bridge Olympiad in the match between Italy and Ireland. With Lorenzo Lauria and Benito Garozzo North-South for Italy.Mano famosa Garozzo 1

The bidding went as shown and they quickly got to 4.

The Irish West led the Q, taken in dummy with the ace, and Garozzo decided early that the best way to play the hand was to try to protect himself against a poor trump division.

Accordingly, without playing any trumps, he next cashed the A and K, discarding a spade, and ruffed a club in his hand.

He then, led a low diamond to the Q, taken by East with the ace, and East cashed the king of spades before continuing with the Jack.

Garozzo wisely ruffed with the Ace of trumps. West discarding a diamond, and then cashed the king of diamonds, producing this position:

Mano famosa Garozzo posicion

He then led the seven of diamond West ruffing with the 7 and dummy with the 9. Now came the king of hearts, East showing out and then the 8.

East played the queen, on which Garozzo discarded his ten of diamonds, thus forcing West to ruff partner’s high club and return a trump from the J 8 to declarer’s Q-10.

And so Garozzo made four hearts – despite West’s five trumps – by scoring the ace of spades, A·K of clubs and king of diamonds, as well as six trump tricks. The only tricks he lost were a spade, a diamond and a trump.