Finessing – Part One ♠ Q J 9 6 5 2 : Dealer East : NS vulnerable

♥ Q 2 ♠ A K 5 Board 1 : Dealer North : Love all ♦ J 8 7 3 West North East South ♥ Q 8 3 ♣ 8 5 1N (1) Pass ♦ K Q 3 West North East South ♠ A 7 2 ♠ K 10 4 2N Pass 3N All pass ♣ 8 6 4 3 1N (1) Pass 4N ♥ J 9 8 5 ♥ 10 6 3 1 12-14 ♠ 10 8 7 4 3 ♠ 6 2 Pass 6N All pass ♦ Q 9 4 ♦ A 6 2 ♥ 10 9 2 ♥ 7 6 5 4 1 12-14 ♣ A 7 4 ♣ K Q J 10 West, with 11 hcps, would like to be in game if partner can ♦ A 6 2 ♦ 10 9 8 4 provide a maximum hand. Then the two hands will When one flat hand faces another the partnership ♠ 8 3 ♣ 9 2 ♣ K 7 5 provide the (generally) necessary 25 hcps for reaching generally needs 33-34 high card points to make a small ♥ A K 7 4 ♠ Q J 9 game. With the opening bid having a three point range slam in no trumps. South knows that he and North have ♦ K 10 5 ♥ AK J judgment can also be a factor and the opening bidder may between them 31 and 33 hcps (a simple matter of adding ♣ 9 6 3 2 ♦ J 7 5 bid game with a good 13 count. Here West invites with 2N South’s points to North’s known range of points). It is ♣ A Q J 10 and East has a 13 count but it also contains some 10s that reasonable to bid the slam if partner is maximum and may be of use. It also helps that the club suit contains South will invite a slam by raising 1N to 4N. North holds good touching cards. Against that the 4333 shape is 14 hcps and will accept by jumping to 6N. uninspiring but, as we’re in an optimistic mood, East raises to game. ♦ Let’s say East leads a neutral 10. Such passive leads are often correct when 6N has been competently bid. Declarer counts his top tricks. There are seven – two Declarer takes stock. It’s unfortunate that both the spade spades, one diamond and four clubs. From the heart and heart suits show a duplication of values in that the holdings it will be possible to make one heart trick so just combined holdings in each suit will only provide three one other trick will need to be found. The only source tricks despite each one having 10 hcps. Declarer has (barring a second spade that could materialise if East is seven top tricks and can bring the total up to nine by able to make ♠10) is the diamond suit. Declarer will have knocking out the ace of diamonds. The only other source to hope that South has ♦K. With that in mind he plays a of tricks is the club suit where we shall need to make an small diamond towards the queen. When South shows up additional three tricks. The only legitimate chance is to with the king of diamonds, declarer is home. hope that East holds the king of clubs in which case we

shall be able to take a against this card and, subject It would be a mistake for declarer to play ♦Q. Whenever to sufficient entries in the North hand, repeat that finesse we are seeking to promote secondary cards to winning until ♣K appears. Declarer wins the with status we should lead towards them, not lead them. Here ♦Q and plays a club to ♣10. It holds and declarer’s hand if we play ♦Q it will run round to the South hand where it is re-entered with a top spade and the club finesse is captured by the king. We will have started with one repeated ( ♣J played when East plays low). When West diamond winner … and ended up with one winner too. ♣ follows, the clubs are known to break 3-2 so A can be ♣ cashed, K drops, and there are now four club tricks. There are some variations in the play, depending on the Once the club suit has been negotiated declarer can turn lead. Here if South starts with a top heart, that will make his attention to knocking out the ace of diamonds to make declarer’s task easier (and if South continues with a the second diamond trick. The slam can be claimed second top heart, crashing partner’s ♥Q, declarer will quickly thereafter. have two heart winners and the correct diamond play will bring the total to ten). When starting out in the world of bridge it’s common for players to spurn taking , perhaps in the mistaken belief that it’s important to guarantee the taking of known winners (e.g. aces). If such an approach is adopted the odds of succeeding in a contract can be dramatically reduced. Here if declarer plays a club to the ace the contract will only succeed if the clubs break 4-1 and the king is singleton. The chance of that is a little over 5% (or one in twenty) compared with a 50:50 shot when taking the finesse.

Stamford Bridge Club Stamford Bridge Club Wednesday Workshop Wednesday Workshop 15 th March 2017 15 th March 2017

♠ Q J 9 Board 3 : Dealer South : EW vulnerable ♠ 10 9 8 5 4 Board 4 : Dealer West : All vulnerable ♥ 8 6 5 ♥ 8 5 ♦ A J 2 West North East South ♦ 7 2 West North East South ♣ A Q J 4 1♠ ♣ K J 5 2 1N (1) Pass 2 ♣(2) Pass ♠ 8 5 2 ♠ 3 Pass 2♣ Pass 2 ♠ ♠ A Q 3 ♠ K J 6 2♥ Pass 6 ♥ All pass ♥ A 9 2 ♥ Q J 10 7 Pass 4♠ All pass ♥ Q J 9 4 ♥ K 10 6 2 1 12-14 2 Stayman ♦ 10 9 7 ♦ Q 8 6 4 ♦ K Q 6 ♦ A J 3 ♣ 9 7 6 2 ♣ K 10 8 5 North has a good hand but once partner shows a ♣ 9 7 4 ♣A Q 10 Once the heart fit has been found the slam is likely to be ♠ A K 10 7 6 4 minimum(ish) opening he is content simply to raise to 4 ♠. ♠ 7 2 reached. In the above auction East follows a basher’s ♥ K 4 3 ♥ A 7 3 auction and jumps to what he thinks partner will make. ♦ ♦ K 5 3 West, let’s say, starts with a top-of-a-sequence 10. ♦ 10 9 8 5 4 Such auctions can be very effective as they give away little ♦ information. ♣ 3 Declarer can try J but it is covered by the queen and ♣ 8 6 3

taken with the king. Declarer, in a suit contract, tends to count potential losers. After the diamond play at trick North, say, starts with ♠10, a safe lead. Declarer has a one, there could be a diamond to lose and, if ♥A is in the similar problem to North on Board 1 in that there are two West hand, three hearts could be lost. With four potential suits (here spades and diamonds) that each (when losers the contract could be in some jeopardy. Let’s say combined) contain 10 hcps but which only provide three we draw trumps in three rounds and now look at the tricks. Declarer sees that he has a sure heart loser and problem again. must lose no other tricks. His only source of those extra tricks lies in clubs. Yes, if East has the ace of hearts it is simple just to play a heart towards the king and the contract makes. But we Declarer will draw trumps and end up in the West hand. can do better than that. We could take a finesse of ♣Q, Now it is not a simple matter of taking, and repeating, a playing West to hold the king, and that could bring us our finesse. That would be the correct approach if the East tenth trick. Again, however, if the finesse loses, East will hand had ♣A Q J. No, declarer has to realise that taking a be able to play a potentially dangerous heart through our successful finesse of the queen of clubs is not sufficient vulnerable holding. [barring an unlikely singleton ♣J in the South hand ] since a club will later be lost to either the king or knave. Declarer We seem to have identified the East hand as the danger will have to play for what will seem like a minor miracle. hand. As such we should try to play the hand to keep that He will have to hope that North was dealt both the king player off lead. What can we do? Well, North’s club and knave of clubs. He plays a club to ♣10. It holds and holding, importantly, has a touching secondary honour in declarer will get home. He comes back to the West hand the knave. That means that we can give up a club to the and only now takes the “normal” finesse of the queen. king but still make two club tricks. We can play a club to Three spades, three hearts, three diamonds and three the ace and lead ♣Q. When East plays low we throw clubs. All the threes and twelve tricks. either a heart or a diamond and West wins but cannot attack the heart suit. He may exit with a diamond. We When declarer played a club to the ten he took a deep win with dummy’s ace and cash ♣J throwing a red card. finesse. It was important for declarer to focus on what We keep two hearts, including the king, in hand since we was necessary for the contract’s success. When nothing can now play a heart towards the king for an overtrick. It else is apparent take what you know to be your only loses but we make our contract with six spades, two chance. If you don’t take it you will never succeed. diamonds and two clubs.

We have succeeded by taking a ruffing finesse. Had East covered ♣Q we would have ruffed and could continue the play as above. In identifying East as the danger hand we used this ruffing finesse as an avoidance play that ensured East never had the lead.

Stamford Bridge Club Stamford Bridge Club Wednesday Workshop Wednesday Workshop 15 th March 2017 15 th March 2017 . ♠ K Board 5 : Dealer North : NS vulnerable ♠ A J 4 3 Board 6 : Dealer East : EW vulnerable ♥ J 10 ♥ A Q 8 3 ♦ K Q J 9 7 2 West North East South ♦ 7 2 West North East South ♣ A 9 8 6 1♦ Pass Pass ♣ 10 7 3 Pass 1 ♠ ♠ A Q 8 4 ♠ J 10 6 5 2 X Pass (1) 1♠ Pass ♠ K 5 ♠ 10 9 8 Pass 3 ♠ Pass 3N (1) ♥ K Q 7 4 ♥ A 6 5 2♦ (2) Pass 3 ♠ Pass ♥ 10 7 6 2 ♥ 9 4 Pass 4 ♠ All pass ♦ 6 5 ♦ 8 3 4♠ All pass ♦ 10 8 4 3 ♦ A 9 6 5 1 Offering a choice of contracts ♣ K Q 2 ♣ J 10 7 1 Might bid 2 ♦. That will make it more difficult for East ♣ K Q 4 ♣ J 9 6 2 ♠ 9 7 3 West 2 How good are you for your bid? ♠ Q 7 6 2 With the holdings looking suspect (and the ♥ 9 8 3 2 ♥ K J 5 chance of a diamond ) North puts the contract back to ♠ ♦ A 10 4 This may be a difficult game to reach. In old-fashioned ♦ K Q J 4 . ♠ ♣ 5 4 3 bidding it would be sufficient for West to raise to 2 to ♣ A 8 5 ♣ ♣ show a good hand (say, 15+hcps) since West would pass West starts with K on which East will encourage ( 9 if 1♠ with a lesser hand. In modern bidding the emphasis is high is encouraging; ♣2 when playing “low likes”). on competing to the level of the fit which means bidding Declarer might the first club (useful were the clubs to a level that is consistent with the number of trumps the to break 5-2) and win the second. Declarer realises that partnership is known to hold (so West would know of the defence has got off to the best start. Had they not eight spades after the 1 ♠ bid so bids 2♠ with a minimum started on clubs he could have either thrown a club loser hand ). The idea behind this is one of pre-emption to make on the fourth heart winner or pitched one of dummy’s it more difficult for the opponents. Nowadays we use a clubs on a winning diamond. Now declarer can count a of the opponents’ suit to get over the message of possible two club losers and one sure diamond losers so it extra values and (usually) support. East could rebid 2 ♠ looks as if he must not lose a . but the fifth spade makes it attractive to try 3 ♠ which West will raise to game. If East does rebid 2 ♠ West might When declarer looks at the spade suit he sees some raise to 3 ♠ but that’s not too likely. obvious good cards (ace, queen and knave) but sees that the rest of the cards are small. If, for example, South had Anyway, whether game has been reached, or not, will ♠10 it would be correct to hope that West had ♠K and the declarer make ten tricks? South leads ♦A and continues contract would be most likely to succeed. Without any with a second diamond (North usually plays ♦K on these intermediate pips (like the 10) declarer should look at the ♠ holdings at trick one to show the solidity of the suit). spade holding afresh. If he leads Q it will be covered by Declarer knows that he’s losing two diamonds and will the king [ failure to cover would be a mistake ] and taken by lose a club. That means he cannot lose a trump too. He the ace. Now the knave is cashed but it doesn’t matter can see that the trump suit is missing the king so will how the cards are distributed there will always be a spade ♠ ♠ identify this as a finessing position. He plays and runs ♠J. to lose to, say, 10 or 9. There is just one configuration It loses to North’s king. of the spade suit that works for declarer. He should play West to have been dealt a doubleton spade including the East shrugs his shoulders, bemoans his lack of luck, writes king. He does not lead ♠Q but plays a small one to ♠J. minus 50 in his scorecard and moves on to Board 6. Now declarer cashes the top spade. When the king falls Except he doesn’t because he realises that playing the declarer crosses to hand to draw the last trump and claim contract in this way is wrong. South has shown up with the game. Four spades, three hearts (one winner is 4hcps (ace of diamonds) and has passed the opening bid. surplus), two diamonds and a club. If he held ♠K (which the play in the previous parapraph presumes) he would have made a positive response. That means North holds the king of spades. Declarer should play a spade to the ace. When the king drops the game is chalked up. Declarer, again, has taken his only chance. Had North been dealt the guarded king of spades (i.e. had a holding with at least one other spade) playing the ace would still have been the correct play but, of course, would not have succeeded. We might call this an obligatory non-finesse.

Stamford Bridge Club Stamford Bridge Club Wednesday Workshop Wednesday Workshop 15 th March 2017 15 th March 2017

♠ 6 5 3 Board 7 : Dealer South : All vulnerable ♠ A Q 10 6 4 2 Board 8 : Dealer West : Love all ♥ 7 6 3 ♥ K 3 ♦ K 6 4 West North East South ♦ A 8 West North East South ♣ J 10 9 8 Pass ♣ Q J 4 Pass 1 ♠ Pass 2 ♣ ♠ A Q 10 ♠ K J 7 1N (1) Pass 4N Pass ♠ J 5 3 ♠ K Pass 3 ♠ Pass 4 ♣ (1) ♥ K Q J 5 ♥ A 10 8 6N All pass ♥ Q J 10 7 ♥ 9 6 5 2 Pass 4 ♦ (1) Pass 4 ♥(1) ♦ 8 5 2 ♦ A J 10 7 1 12-14 ♦ J 6 5 2 ♦ Q 10 4 3 Pass 4N (2) Pass 5 ♥(3) ♣ Q 5 3 ♣ A K 4 ♣ 9 6 ♣10 8 7 2 Pass 6 ♠ All pass ♠ 9 8 4 2 This board has some similarity with Board 1 in that East ♠ 9 8 7 1 Ace-showing cue bid 2 Roman Key Card Blackwood adopts an invitational sequence to slam. Those with rose- ♥ 9 4 2 ♥ A 8 4 (“RKCB”) 3 2 of the 5 “aces” with no queen of trumps tinted glasses will add a point to the East hand for the two ♦ Q 9 3 ♦ K 9 7 10s and that will give the partnership a minimum of 33 ♣7 6 2 ♣ A K 5 3 Because South has responded in a new suit at the 2level, hcps, sufficient for a direct blast of 6N. ♠ ♣ North’s jump to 3 is game forcing. South’s 4 should be interpreted as an advance cue bid, agreeing spades. If North starts with a passive ♣J. Again we see some South had clubs that were so good that they would be duplication where the spade suit only provides three worth a bid of 4 ♣, South would have jumped to 3 ♣ on the tricks. With, in addition, four hearts, one diamond and first round of bidding. When South responds to 4N North three clubs, there are eleven trick on top. There is no knows that one key card is missing so will give up on any possibility of developing an additional trick in any suit but thought of reaching 7 ♠. diamonds. The knave ten combination in the East hand is more than useful. Our intention is to finesse these cards. East leads anything but a trump. Declarer has no losers If North has both the king and queen of diamonds, outside the trump suit so the key to the hand is the play of declarer will always make two diamonds (if North plays this suit. Missing both the king and the knave of trumps it ♦ low, 10 will win; if North splits his honours, declarer can would be tempting to take two finesses (run ♠9 and then ♦ ♦ win and return J or 10 to establish the other secondary run ♠8). That’s reasonable but would be wrong if East diamond honour). If South has both the king and queen of had been dealt ♠K J as two spades would now be lost. diamonds nothing can be done as South will win with both Another line is to run ♠9 and, when that loses to ♠J, cash these cards. ♠A. That, however, loses when West had been dealt three

spades to the king. The more poignant layout is when North has one diamond

honour and South the other. We win the opening club ♦ Both these lines suffer from the uncertainty of the layout. lead with the queen and finesse 10. It loses but we There is a much stronger line and that is to play a spade to return to the West hand in one of the major suits to the ace. Bingo. ♠K falls and we can cross to dummy and finesse ♦J this time. It holds and we have our twelfth take a marked finesse against ♠J. Yes, West is now known trick. to hold the knave (unless East is playing a very deep game

and has played ♠K when holding the knave too – a jokey We have taken a double finesse, the success of which sort of play that, for its “success”, relies on the trump depended on split honours (or North holding both of coming back when declarer does take the later finesse). them).

6♠ – tick.

Stamford Bridge Club Stamford Bridge Club Wednesday Workshop Wednesday Workshop 15 th March 2017 15 th March 2017