The 2013 IBPA (International Bridge Press Association) Awards have just been published — and it’s no great surprise to see the name of the multi-world champion Fulvio Fantoni (formerly of Italy, now of Monaco) scooping ‘Declarer Play of the Year’. Cover up the EW hands and see whether you find the same solution (I certainly didn’t):

(1♥: forcing, 3♥: weak, 3♠: cue, 4♠: cue, 5♥: 1 key card.) West led the ♣Q. East’s double at the 3-level, vulnerable, as a passed hand, spoke volumes: Fantoni correctly placed him with a heart void, the black kings, and probably both diamond honors. After a long pause, Fantoni played a low heart to dummy’s ♥7! He continued with the ♣10, discarding a diamond when East played low. West won with the ♣J and continued with a heart to dummy’s ♥10. Now came the ♣9, covered by the ♣K (ducking wouldn’t have helped) and ruffed with the ♥Q. The rest was easy: ace of hearts, heart to the king, two winning clubs for another diamond and a spade discard and a claim on the spade finesse (in fact, East had already been squeezed).

Clever stuff. But you didn’t think that was the point of my column did you? No, there’s a twist to the tale — and Fulvio Fantoni may not thank me for it. At TGRs last week, I showed this hand to another great player, Artur Malinowski, with the EW cards covered up. A few minutes later he came up with his solution — an altogether different one from Fantoni’s. Assuming he’d got it wrong, I told him what Fantoni had done, and he exclaimed: ‘But my line is better!’ And so it was …Sorry, no space this week to tell you how The Great Malinowski played it. You’ll have to wait til next time!