No Finesse Needed #10-25

IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

A good declarer will avoid taking a finesse until he can find no better play. Here is a hand where declarer saw a play that was guaranteed to succeed.

Scoring: Matchpoints (Pairs)

Hand#25
Dlr	N
Vul	N/S

	72
	KQ52
	AKJ5
	J53

	943
	10987
	10764
	86

	KJ865
	A3
	Q3
	A972

	AQ10
	J64
	982
	KQ104

West	North	East	South
	1	1	2NT
Pass	3NT	Pass	Pass
Pass

BIDDING: South’s 2NT bid showed an invitational hand with 11-12 high card points along with a spade stopper. Holding a sound opener North raised to game.

PLAY: West led a low spade to the king and ace. Declarer saw he had two aces to lose as well as a possible finesse for the queen of diamonds. First things first so at trick two, declarer led a club to the jack. East won the ace and continued spades. Declarer won with the ten followed by a low heart to the king and ace. Next East cleared the spade suit but declarer now had ten tricks: 3 spades, 2 hearts, 2 diamonds, and 3 clubs. An eleventh trick could come from a 3-3 heart break or by winning a trick with the jack of diamonds. After winning the third spade declarer led the jack and queen of hearts. East followed once but discarded a spade on the third heart. Next South cashed the ace of diamonds followed by a club to his hand. Declarer played his club winners as West discarded two diamonds. When declarer led a diamond at trick twelve, West followed but declarer knew West’s remaining card was a heart so he rose with the diamond ace. The queen dropped and declarer had eleven tricks.

This type of “show-up squeeze” occurs frequently and eliminates the need for a finesse.