DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

The Society of Finessers is still at it.

“Sir: We must again condemn your contempt for the finesse, an honorable technique that wins fully half the time, except in your columns.”

At five clubs, South ruffs the opening lead, draws trumps and lets the queen of spades ride. East takes the king and leads another diamond. South ruffs and next tries a heart to dummy’s queen, losing. He loses another heart for down one.

“Two finesses out of two lose,” the Society roars. “For shame!”

DIAMOND LENGTH

South forgot, and the Society didn’t care to notice, that West passed over South’s one club at favorable vulnerability when he had the A-K of diamonds and surely some length. If he had a major-suit king also, he probably would have overcalled.

After South draws trumps, he must lead a spade to dummy’s ace and return a spade. If East wins, South gets two heart discards on the Q-J, losing one heart and one spade. If instead East ducks his king, South loses two hearts but no spades.

DAILY QUESTION Youhold:SA4HAQ6 2D532CJ652.Yourpartner opens one spade, you bid two clubs, he rebids two spades and you try 2NT. Partner then bids three hearts. What do you say?

ANSWER: Your 2NT wouldn’t have been everyone’s choice, but you had to find a bid. Partner suggests six spades, four hearts and minimum values. With a stronger 6-4 hand, his second bid would have been two hearts or three spades. Bid four hearts. He may hold KQ9652,KJ54,A6,4.