All News

            Beware the successful finesse.

So, your finesse worked. A time for celebration, an extra trick, maybe more. Indeed, but it is not time to be casual. Look what happened to our declarer below.

 

A nice-looking 18-count and partner shows 10+ by changing the suit at the 2-level. Your 2NT shows 18-19 (playing a weak no-trump opening) and after partner signs off, you cannot resist pushing one higher, just in case there is a slam to be made. “No thanks” says North and you receive 10 lead to 4NT.

This goes round to your jack as East plays 6. You play a diamond to the jack, which wins the trick (East-West play 6 and 2). What next?

You can imagine. South thought that West might have Kxx and therefore could bring in five tricks in the suit by returning to hand and repeating the finesse. 5 diamonds, 2 clubs, 3 hearts and 2 spade tricks. 12 tricks with those overtricks being very handy in a Pairs event.

So, a club to the ace and a second low diamond… and West discarded a heart. Ouch!

 

Defenders are not there to help you out and East had done very well to duck the first diamond smoothly. Not only were there to be no overtricks but the contract itself was in grave danger. South had to lose the lead twice to East.

Q lost to the king and 7 was returned. South could survive had they won this trick but they were unsure how many spades East held. West won their K and took stock. With no further entry to their own hand, and a decidedly disappointed declarer over the diamond position, West put the J on the table and South’s fate was sealed. Declarer lost two diamond tricks, K and Q. No doubt, South was not feeling too happy about pushing on above 3NT.

There were ways that 4NT could have been made. Had South returned to hand initially with a heart rather than a club, they would have only lost two diamonds and one spade trick but that assumed they won the spade at the correct time.

Avoiding the sin of "greed"

The declarer would have been far better off had they not returned to their hand at all when the diamond finesse appeared to work. They should have laid down the A at that point and would still have made 5 diamond tricks had the K fallen doubleton. Had West held KT64, they could then have returned to hand to play a third diamond to reduce their diamond losers to one.

On the actual  lay-out, South knows they must lose two diamond tricks. So, after taking A, play Q losing to the king. A spade is returned, ducked and won by the K but West cannot hurt declarer who still has a double hold in clubs and two entries to their own hand. 10 is lost but the contract is made, no overtricks!

Give credit to both East then West for their good defence. However, South could, perhaps should, have survived. Playing Teams, repeating the diamond finesse is wrong. Even at Pairs, it is doubtful. Overtricks do matter but not at the expense of one’s contract, unless you are really “shooting tops”. 10 tricks looked assured to South though they took their eye off the ball just a little too early and paid a heavy price.

A “Leading” Question

 

Your rather good Weak Jump Overcall did not seem to have affected your opponents much. So, it’s time to find the killing lead. Can you? Is there one?

You are still playing Pairs.

Richard Solomon

Go Back View All News Items