“Simple Saturday” columns focus on basic technique and logical thinking.
Finesses can be a necessary evil. They entail two problems: Half of the time, they lose; the other half, when they win, they may gain nothing.
At today’s four hearts, South was favored with a low-diamond opening lead; dummy’s jack held. Declarer next cashed the ace of trumps and led a trump for a finesse with his jack. West took the queen and returned his last trump.
CLUB TO LOSE
South won in dummy and finessed with the queen of clubs, losing. He won the club return with the ace and ruffed a club in dummy, but he still had a club to lose, plus a spade. Down one.
South’s trump finesse might not have gained even if it had won; he still would have wanted to draw the missing queen, thereby costing himself a ruff. South should finesse in clubs at Trick Two, win the club return and take the A-K of trumps. Then he can ignore the missing high trump and ruff two clubs in dummy, losing only three tricks in all.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S A 3 H K J 9 5 D A K 4 C A Q 5 2. You open 2NT, and your partner bids 4NT. What do you say?
ANSWER: Partner’s 4NT is not the Blackwood ace-asking convention. (In experienced partnerships, not every 4NT bid is Blackwood, believe it or not.) His bid invites slam just as a raise of 1NT to 2NT would invite game. If your 2NT opening shows 20 or 21 points, bid 6NT, or maybe six clubs to allow for the chance of a suit contract.
South dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S 8 6 5 2
H A 10 6 3
D J 6 5
C 8 4
WEST
S K J 4
H Q 7 4
D Q 9 7 2
C K 9 3
EAST
S Q 10 9 7
H 8 2
D 10 8 3
C J 10 7 6
SOUTH
S A 3
H K J 9 5
D A K 4
C A Q 5 2
South West North East
2 NT Pass 3 C Pass
3 H Pass 4 H All Pass
Opening lead — D 2
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Originally published at Frank Stewart