BRIDGE JACK STOCKEN

Today’s hand comes from an online Yorkshire teams match.

North South were playing a strong notrump and 5 card major so1 ♣ was phoney or prepared. North’s double of 2♠ was for takeout, not penalty, as their side had agreed that all doubles below game level were played as take-out, a sensible treatment as long as you know exactly what you are doing!

West led the six of spades against 3NT. At every other table in 3NT, declarer saw eight tricks, so played off all the diamonds, followed by the ace of hearts followed by the unsuccessful heart finesse, low to the jack, for two down.

At another table, however, declarer saw the possibilities offered by the eight and nine of hearts in dummy, so, having won the first spade, no point in holding up, declarer led the jack of hearts from hand.

West, correctly, covered, so declarer won with the ace and then ran the nine of hearts, successfully finessing against East’s ten. If West had not covered, declarer would, of course, have let the jack run. Declarer now had nine tricks so made 3NT.

It is an example of what is called an intra-finesse; a rare manoeuvre but very satisfying when it works.

You may think that this play was against the odds but declarer had reasoned that West had made a vulnerable overcall of one spade and had already denied the king of spades which East had played at trick one. Therefore West was more likely to have the queen of hearts for her bid.

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