Unnecessary finesse?

EVERY player has had a blind spot by taking a “practice finesse” (a finesse that gains nothing even if it wins). A club player showed me today’s deal and said his partner had taken one.

“He landed at four hearts doubled,” I was told, “and West led the K-A and a third club. My partner ruffed, cashed the ace of trumps and then led a spade to dummy’s queen!”

That finesse looked about as necessary as a fence around a cemetery, but see what happened. South continued with the ace of spades, pitching a diamond, and a spade ruff. He led a trump to dummy and returned a diamond to his jack.

RUFF-SLUFF

When West won, he was end- played: A diamond lead would give declarer a free finesse. A spade or club would concede a fatal ruff-sluff. Making four.

South knew from West’s doubles where all the missing honours lay. Unless South takes that fatuous-looking finesse in spades, he can’t arrive at the end-play position, and West will get two diamond tricks to defeat the contract.

DAILY QUESTION You hold: 4 AK J 10 6 A J 10 9 4 Q 4. Your partner opens one club, you bid one heart, he rebids two clubs and you try two diamonds. Partner next bids 2NT. What do you say?

ANSWER Slam at clubs is possible, especially if partner has good trumps and honours such as the ace of spades and king of diamonds. Bid three clubs, which he should treat as forcing. With a weaker hand such as 4, A K 10 6 4, Q 10 9 4 2, Q 4, you would have raised his two clubs to three. South dealer E-W vulnerable

Opening lead –

K