Daily Bridge Club

Simple Saturday Saturday, March 27, 2021

“Simple Saturday” columns focus on improving basic technique and logical thinking.

Cy the Cynic, a denizen of my bridge club, expects all his finesses to lose. As a confirmed cynic, Cy doesn’t even assume that a finesse that happens to work once will do so twice.

You are declarer at today’s 3NT. You win the diamond opening lead in dummy and lead the queen of hearts: deuce, six, four. If you continue with a heart to your ten, West produces the king and exits with a diamond. You can take three diamonds, the ace of hearts and the A-K of clubs, but East wins the third club and leads the queen of spades, and you lose the rest. Down one.

TRUST

Don’t trust the defenders. After the queen of hearts wins, lead a club to your jack. Even if the finesse loses, you have nine tricks.

When the jack of clubs wins, cash the A-K, three diamonds and the ace of hearts. Exit with a heart, and West will have to win and give you the king of spades. That will teach him to try to fool you.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ 543 ♥ QJ 5 3 ♦ A4 2 ♣ 10 4 3. The dealer, at your left, opens one diamond. Your partner doubles, you bid one heart and he raises to three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: It’s easy to misjudge and pass, but your partner has been willing to undertake a nine-trick contract, and for all he knows, you have zilch. The key to these situations is to imagine how much worse your hand might be. Since you have an ace and four good hearts, bid four hearts. South dealer

N-S vulnerable