Contract Bridge

Today’s hand features the recurring problem of whether to finesse or play for the drop of the queen when missing Q-x-x-x of a suit. The general rule is to cash the A-K, but because this is mathematically a very close proposition, declarer will sometimes switch to the finesse for good and sufficient reasons. Such was the case in this deal.

South found himself in six hearts after the sequence shown. The slam was an excellent one, since it would make if West had the king of spades, or if a club loser could be avoided.

West’s diamond lead was ruffed, and two rounds of trumps were drawn. The king of clubs was then cashed, and another club was led toward dummy, on which West played the ten. To finesse or not to finesse was now the question.

Declarer finessed and made the contract. But it was not just a lucky guess. The finesse guaranteed the contract, win or lose.

This was because if East won with the queen, he would have no choice but to hand South the slam by returning a spade or a diamond -- the only two suits he still held.

If East led a spade into dummy’s A-Q-J-6, declarer’s other spade loser would go on dummy’s fifth club. And if East returned a diamond instead, South would discard a spade, ruff in dummy and again score the rest of the tricks.

So the club finesse, with nine cards of the suit missing the queen, turned out also to be a safety play.