DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

Another letter arrived from the Society of Finessers — they are nothing if not persistent — complaining that finesses never win in my column deals.

“Sir: We must again protest your disdain for the finesse, an honorable technique that wins fully half the time, except when you write about it.”

Gentlemen, let me give you something else to complain about.

At four hearts, South takes the ace of spades, cashes the ace of trumps and finesses with his jack, losing. South wins the next spade, comes to his ace of diamonds, draws trumps and leads a diamond to dummy’s ten. East produces the queen and cashes a spade and a club for down one.

“Two finesses lose,” the Society grumbles.

Time: After South wins the first spade, he should take the A-K of trumps, gaining time. He continues with the A-K of diamonds and leads the jack.

East wins and returns a spade to dummy, but South discards his spade loser on the ten of diamonds. He makes his game without taking a finesse.

Daily question You hold: ♠ 542 ♥ KJ10952 ♦ A72 ♣ 10. You open two hearts (weak), and your partner responds 2NT. The opponents pass. What do you say?

Answer: In every practiced partnership, partner’s 2NT is an artificial inquiry. Partnerships use different rebidding schemes, some more complicated than others. A common and simple treatment is for opener to show a side-suit feature — and ace or king — if he has one. If that is your agreement, bid three diamonds. North dealer

N-S vulnerable