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Chances Aplenty.

33 hcp, a 5-4 trump fit with all the honours present and just one ace along with a key queen in a different suit missing. We have all been in far far worse slam contracts than that. Nevertheless, there’s work to be done to record a plus score:

 

A fairly straightforward auction with South cue- bidding their club singleton before owning up to one key-card (5). Considering the positive 2 response, North did not check for the Q. Present and correct!

West led a not very helpful 8. Over to you.

Trumps break 2-2.

It really is all about combining chances and when all else fails, you may have to take the heart finesse.

So, you draw trumps and ideally finish in the South hand. It’s time to play the club suit. Three good things could happen. Firstly, if West grabs the A, you can open up your hand and claim 12 very easy tricks with 2 hearts to be discarded on dummy’s clubs.

Then, if you played a club to the king and West did not rise with the ace, you can try the heart finesse for an overtrick. Nice.

However, West will only have that ace half the time. Say West plays low. Will you really play dummy’s K? Maybe it’s time for a different finesse by playing T. Loses to the jack? Grit your teeth and move on as a diamond is returned, though your chances would be improved had you cashed your other diamond winners before playing the club. East may feel they need or indeed have to switch to hearts. 

What then? You have a choice of two finesses now, or do you? If you take the ruffing club finesse, you will only have one discard if East has the A and will be down immediately if West has that ace. So, you are resigned to taking that heart finesse if East has not helped you out already. 

Oh, were you counting? We said there were three “good things” that could happen when you led the club. Actually, you have to choose between the second (West withholds their ace) and the third because you play a different club in dummy for the third one to be right.

That’s it, a club to T, hoping that West has the J.

So, which way did you choose? While a good defender may not rise with A on the first round (the temptation to do so must be strong), your bidding (4 cue) told them you had at most one club. So, it seems that the club finesse might be the better choice when West plays low. So, your choice is?

 

A club to the 10 was a definite winner. Given that West did not lead a safe trump, it was a little more likely that they held Q in that they chose not to lead that suit. So, it was really important you made the correct guess in clubs.

+1430 hopefully. If West was brave enough to play low on the first round of clubs, knowing that you held a singleton, they deserve to be recording a plus score. All the more reason to play T, a play the defence are unable to counter. Next board, please!

Tomorrow is our regular “Fri Play” day for those new to the game.

Richard Solomon

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