BRIDGE

When you start to play bridge, one of the first things you're taught is how to finesse. But as you progress, you gradually learn to rely less and less on this valuable gadget and by the time you’ve reached your peak, you tend to view the finesse strictly as an instrument of last resort, using it only after first considering other options.

Nevertheless, there are times when there is no alternative to a finesse, and occasionally it’s even possible to arrange the play so that an otherwise uncertain finesse is sure to bring the contract home whether it wins or loses! In such cases, the finesse is obviously the play of choice.

Take this case where West leads a heart against six diamonds, ruffed by declarer. It is only trick one, but South can already feel absolutely certain of making the slam.

At trick two, he leads a trump to the jack, then ruffs the heart seven and cashes the K-A of spades. A third spade is led, and after West follows with the nine, declarer finesses the ten, knowing that this play will make the slam whether the finesse wins or loses.

As it happens, the ten holds, and South has 12 ironclad tricks. But even if the ten loses to the jack, the final outcome is exactly the same! East would then be forced to return a club into dummy's A-Q-x, or a heart, allowing South to discard a club as he ruffed in dummy. Dummy ’ s queen of spades would then provide the slam-going trick.

Note also that even if East had held the J-9-8-4 of spades, South still would make the slam. In that case, West would show out on the third spade lead. Declarer would then take the queen and exit with the ten, allowing East to score his jack as South discarded a club. That would likewise spell finis for the defence.