Finessing ideas

Press, 24 January 1984, Page 12

Finessing ideas

CONTRACT BRIDGE

J.R. Wignall

The finesse is one of the most frequent plays in bridge, used by beginners and experts alike, but we can all brush up our ideas on the subject. Hugh Kelsey in his book “Test your Finessing” gives this example. West deals with both sides vulnerable:

Against South’s contract of four spades West led the ace of clubs before switching to the king of hearts. North’s ace won as East followed with the queen of hearts to show a solid sequence. Since the opening bid of one no-trump had shown 15 to 17 high card points, West was marked with every remaining honour card to make up his values. With the king and the jack of spades on his left, and with the 10 also missing, how could the declarer avoid the loss of two tricks in trumps? After a. little thought he found the way. At the second trick he led a low spade from dummy, and when East followed with the WBVLJL

two, South played the eight. West duly won with the jack to return a second heart which the declarer ruffed. When South continued with the queen of spades his problems were over, for whether West covered with the king or not, East’s 10 was smothered and the declarer could draw the remaining trumps without loss.

By using the “intrafinesse” South confined his losers to one in spades and two in clubs to bring home his contract. Sometimes it is necessary to take a finesse that on the surface seems quite foolish. The declarer in this hand dealt by North with only his side vulnerable failed to appreciate this:

The auction was very brief: W. N. E. S. — No No 44> All Pass

After his partner had passed, South, who could see no point in looking for a slam, opened four spades, and there matters rested. Had he taken a more circumspect approach it is possible that East-West might have competed in hearts. Five hearts would have been defeated by three tricks on perfect defence, and more often by only two tricks. The resultant penalty of 500 to 300 would have been inadequate compensation for a vulnerable game.

But South still had to make four spades. He won the opening lead of the queen of hearts with dummy’s ace, and played off the ace and king of spades expecting the queen to fall. Unfortunately for him he had to lose one trick in trumps and one in hearts. When the defenders discarded correctly he also lost to the ace of diamonds and the queen of clubs, so he was defeated by one trick. After dummy’s king of diamonds had lost to the ace, the queen was established but, with no entry to the North hand, it withered on the vine.

Obviously South misplayed the hand. He should have won the first trick with the ace of hearts and followed with a low spade to the 10. When this wins he draws the remaining trumps with the ace and king and now has 10 tricks — seven in spades, the ace of hearts and the two top clubs. This is not such a hindsight play as it seems. If the 10 of spades loses to the queen, the contract is still made. West can make a trick in hearts, before switching to a club. The declarer wins in hand, draws the last trump with the ace, and leads a diamond to the king in dummy. East takes the ace, but this is the third and final trick for the defence. The best return is a club, but South wins, crosses to the table by overt-king his four of spades with the five and on the queen of diamonds discards his losing club.

The spade finesse was a no-cost play. If it won, South had no losers in trumps, but if it lost dummy had a vital entry for the diamond trick.