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Do you play this lady?

Defensive Finessing.

If you can never seem to take a successful finesse as a declarer (well, let’s call it “selective memory”!), then how about taking one as a defender! The result can be most rewarding.

Take this innocuous little part-score. What? Who said “innocuous”? You are playing Pairs where the difference between -90 and -120 or -90 and +50 can be huge, like 4%! Those 4%’s add up!

 

North leads 4. Declarer plays 3 from dummy…. and you? What is the most important card at this point?

As South, you would like to find a way into this auction as chances are you have a fit in a major suit (West surely has no major). However, it is unclear whether double in the pass-out seat is take-out or maybe a strong hand with lots of clubs. Similarly, would 2 be for take-out or a handful of clubs? My money is on double for take-out and 2 as natural especially if 1 could be as short as two cards, West will normally have 4+ clubs for their 1NT bid. Both alternatives for double and 2 seem to have credibility.

The other reason to stay silent is our rather anaemic heart suit along with the vulnerability. -200 is a curse on such a board while even -100 would be a poor score if the opponents could only record -90 in 1NT.

So, especially if you have no agreements, then defending 1NT seems a reasonable alternative.

For those of you who found the play of 9 quite straightforward, spare a thought for those pairs who allowed 1NT to make after a small diamond lead from North.

The most important card is?

The most important card in your thoughts should be 10. While the success or otherwise of the diamond lead may depend on your style of opening lead (low promising an honour, 4^th highest, 3rds and 5ths etc), you would hope that your partner holds the K. Yet, any lead would seem to be poor if your partner does not hold 10. By playing Q at trick 1, you are gifting the declarer 2 tricks in the suit even if your partner holds K. Your best hope to prevent this happening is to play 9, a finesse against 10.

 

 

If your partner does not hold that card, you must lose two tricks in the suit. Your best hope for 3 tricks is to play for the above lay-out. Also, if your partner has led from a 3 or 4 card suit headed by the 10, you can at least make 1 trick later by inserting 9.

Finesse successful! You can then play Q which should win trick 2 and then knock-out the ace at trick 3. West would hope for a successful heart finesse..but no! Another disappointment for a declarer. So, North cashes their winning diamond and you ask for a spade switch (a heart continuation should beat the contract by 2 tricks) and duck North’s 9.

Unsuccessful finesse number 2 for West (in clubs) and you exit 6 to see West win A, cash 2 club tricks and be forced to give you two spade tricks for down 1, + 50. If West scored 2 diamond tricks on this board, they would and indeed in some cases did make + 90.

…and that major fit we did not have? Well, a few successful finesses (yes, even declarers do sometimes find cards well-placed!)  will see you home in both 2 and 2, even 2, though should you try to find a fit as South and how?

We will ask our Panel overnight and offer how tomorrow.

Richard Solomon

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