The Star Early Edition

FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

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SIMPLE SATURDAY

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

Finesses are necessary evils. They betray you half the time, and it may seem more often than that. With a choice of finesses, try the one that will gain the most if it wins.

At today’s four spades, South took the ace of clubs and had to finesse in both trumps and hearts; he had only one more entry to dummy. He tried a trump to his queen, and West, knowing South had good spades, played low without concern. South then led a diamond to dummy’s ace and a second trump to his jack.

Finesse

West won, cashed his jack of clubs and led a third club. South ruffed, got to dummy with the nine of trumps and won a heart finesse, but he still lost a heart to East’s king plus a diamond. Down one. South must lead a heart to his queen at Trick Two. If that finesse wins, South can be confident that East has the king. South uses his second dummy entry to lead to his jack. He loses a trump but makes game.

Daily Question You hold:

Spades A Q J 8 6 Hearts A

Q J Diamonds K 4 2 Clubs 8 3. Your partner opens one heart. The next player passes. What do you say?

Answer: If your partner has a suitable minimum hand such as K 4, K 10 8 6 3, A 8 3, A 7 2, you have a grand slam. To tell him slam is likely and enlist his opinion, jump to two spades and support hearts next. A jump-shift does not show “19 points.” It suggests slam and says you know what suit should be trumps (or that you can play at notrump).

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

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