IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

 

The expert will avoid taking a finesse unless it offers the best chance to succeed.  Here is a hand where that decision was put off until trick twelve.

 

Scoring: Matchpoints (Pairs Game)

#11-02

Dlr

E

Vul

E/W

S

A53

H

J9

D

AQ105

C

AQ104

S

6

H

Q7

D

87643

C

J8765

  pad  

S

82

H

AK1086542

D

K

C

32

 

S

KQJ10974

H

3

D

J92

C

K9

West

North

East

South

  

 

    4H

   4S

   Pass

   5S

   Pass

   6S

    Pass     Pass      Pass    

   

 

 

 

 

BIDDING:  After East’s preemptive opening, South decided to test the old theory that “It’s always right to bid 4S  over 4H”.  North’s raise asked South to bid the slam if he had a heart control and South nervously complied. 

 

PLAY:  West led the queen of hearts overtaken by East.  Another high heart was led and declarer ruffed high.  It appeared to declarer that he needed either to find the king of diamonds or the jack of clubs in the West hand.  But following that reasoning, he saw a finesse might not be necessary.  He drew trumps followed by three rounds of clubs discarding a diamond.  When East discarded a heart on the third club, declarer proceeded to play the rest of his trumps.  Here was the end position at trick eleven:

 

                    DAQ  C10

           D87                    H108

           CJ                      DK

                     S4    DJ9

 

On the last spade, West discarded a diamond, dummy the club, and East a heart.  A diamond was lead toward dummy and when West followed with the eight, declarer knew West’s remaining card was the jack of clubs so he played the ace and was delighted to see the king fall.  Those who took the diamond finesse were sadly disappointed.

 

Copyright ©2011 Larry Matheny