Daily Bridge Club

Useless finesses

I continue a series on those infuriating finesses — which invariably lose when you need them to win. A club player brought me today’s deal. He had been declarer at 3NT in a team match.

“My partner said I should tape an ‘out of order’ sign on my forehead,” he told me. “I won the first club with the ace and led a spade to my queen, and West took the king and led another club. I won, unblocked the ace of spades and led a diamond to dummy’s king.

“I forced out the jack of spades next, but it didn’t help because dummy had no more entries. I wound up going down, and my partner was annoyed.”

BETTER

At the other table, South’s play at 3NT was better. He won the first club in his hand and led the ace and queen of spades, rejecting a finesse.

West won and led another club, and South won in dummy and led the ten of spades to force out East’s jack. South could reach dummy with the king of diamonds for the good spades. He won three spades, three clubs and three diamonds.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ A Q ♥ Q 7 5 4 2 ♦ AQ 7 ♣ K Q 5. Both sides vulnerable. After two passes, the player at your right opens three spades. What do you say?

ANSWER: So much for conducting a careful, leisurely auction. Your opponent’s preempt compels you to guess at a contract. In these situations, to avoid being talked out of makeable games, you must assume that your partner has a fair share of the missing strength. Bid 3NT and hope for a decent dummy. South dealer N-S vulnerable