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                            Unlucky….or not?

Before moaning about bad luck, a declarer should always be sure that they played a contract in the best way possible. Only then can they say they were really unlucky. So, no moaning if you did not make today’s contract until you are sure you played the board in the best way possible.

 

South opens a 15-17 1NT leaving North with the easy task of raising to game and then watching you from the dummy seat. West leads Q….and your plan is?

South took the A in dummy and crossed to hand by playing a club to the ace in order to take the diamond finesse…and as you might guess, the finesse lost. Back came a second small heart from East with South playing 10 and losing to West’s J. A third heart went to South’s king.

South had now 8 tricks, four diamonds, AK and two black-suit aces and had chances for a ninth as long as East held K, and West J and East held KQ. That’s a lot of wishes! South ran his diamond winners and then exited their club.

However, this was the full lay-out:

 

West had discarded an encouraging spade and two clubs on the run of the diamonds. East won J and switched to a low spade. South had to lose a spade and one more heart to go one down, losing 2 hearts, J, K and a spade.

Unlucky? Well, to the extent that they had 9 tricks on top had the diamond finesse worked: yes, they were! However, could they have made the contract when the finesse failed? The answer was “yes”. It was a case of recognising the “danger hand” and taking the right finesse first. Not just was the spade finesse (well, the first of 2 spade finesses) the right one with which to start but with K10 still in the South hand, West could not continue that suit to their benefit.

So, win A and play a spade to 10 losing to K. West would now exit a club which South would win with A, no matter what they played from dummy. Only then take the losing diamond finesse. South may as well win the low heart return with K because they will cross with a diamond to dummy to take a second spade finesse. At last, one works! Two tricks in each major along with 4 diamonds and A meant game made.

Had West started with 5 hearts and KQ while East held the minor suit kings and J, then South could have bemoaned their bad luck. Note also had the diamond finesse worked, South could have taken a second spade finesse for the overtrick as long as they had played low from dummy on the first round of clubs.

Sometimes, we need to be optimistic in our approach. At other times, we need to plan when something bad like a losing finesse occurs. We all know they seem to fail quite regularly!

Richard Solomon

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