The finesse lost — that’s lucky

Jean Cocteau wrote, “Never do what a specialist can do better. Discover your own specialty. Do not despair if your specialty appears to be more delicate, a lesser thing. Make up in finesse what you lose in force.”

At the bridge table, frequently your contract requires a winning finesse. Strange as it sounds, though, occasionally a losing finesse will be a lifesaver.

Given that whopping hint, how should South plan the play in six spades? West leads the heart jack. Declarer ruffs and draws trumps in three rounds. How should South continue?

North had an uncomfortable bid over West’s preemptive raise to four hearts, but advancing with five clubs, despite having only 6 high-card points, was a reasonable choice. Then declarer, with no room to investigate a grand slam, bid what he thought he could make.

At first glance, it looks as though South should cash the two top clubs. If the queen drops, he is home with an overtrick. If she doesn’t, declarer needs to find East with a singleton or doubleton royal in diamonds. But there is a much better line. At trick five, declarer leads his club 10 and overtakes with dummy’s jack (unless West covers with the queen, after which South would play low from the board).

If the finesse luckily loses, East winning with the queen, declarer has four club winners on which he can discard his three diamond losers. If the club finesse unluckily wins (East refusing the trick), South must try the double diamond finesse — but that will surely succeed given East’s opening bid. To take the second diamond finesse, declarer overtakes his club king with dummy’s ace.