SHOULD YOU FOLLOW LINE A OR LINE B?

Laura Schlessinger claims that her radio show preaches, teaches and nags about morals, values and ethics. She said, “Children are our second chance to have a great parent-child relationship.”

Some do not need that second chance; they had a great relationship with one or both of their parents. But others do want that second opportunity.

Bridge declarers can be like that. They see two ways to get the tricks needed for their contract — let’s call them line A and line B. Sometimes declarer must choose between them; on other deals, it will be possible to succeed if either A or B works — which is obviously preferable.

In today’s deal, South is in three no-trump. West leads the club ace: two, 10, nine. West continues with the club four (in case his partner has only queenthird of clubs). East wins with the queen, returns the club three, wins the fourth trick with his club eight and shifts to a low spade. How should South try to benefit from the 4-4 club split?

South starts with eight top tricks: one spade, three hearts and four diamonds. The obvious chances for a ninth trick are the spade finesse working — line A, let’s say — or the missing hearts splitting 3-3 — line B. Which would a mathematician recommend?

A finesse is theoretically a 50-50 shot, but a 3-3 break happens only approximately one time in three. So, the finesse is the better percentage.

This means that South, after discarding the spade four at trick three, should pitch the heart five at trick four and bank everything on the spade finesse, which, of course, works! Copyright United Feature Syndicate (Asia Features) bridge