Dubious Logic

The one-way finesse

I expect you've seen problems featuring the two-way finesse before. Typically you have suit combination of A10x opposite KJx and you know you can make tricks three tricks from the combination – you just have to 'find the lady'.

When presented as a problem the answer is invariably not to touch the suit at all as, if the opponents are forced to broach it, they are bound not to make a trick. More often than not you play everything else and no-one obliges you, so you resort to counting; distribution, high cards or both, and make your decision. That will often be to finesse through the player you expect to have the longer holding on the grounds they are more likely to hold a particular card.

Take the reins as declarer faced with this combination at game all:

You play four spades after North bids clubs. He lead the ace and switches to the queen of diamonds – how do you plan to play?

In order to steer clear of the heart guess the main decision is whether to duck a diamond or not. If North has queen-knave alone or QJxx, then it's best to win (whoever wins the singleton honour on the second round will be end-played) and if he holds three, then dummy's thirteenth will provide a discard. So win, draw trumps and lead towards the ten. The suit is 3-3 and your troubles are over without having to worry about hearts. But that's not the real problem- this is, from the National Swiss Teams:

My 2NT showed a raise of spades and I might have done better to double 5♣ rather than encourage an uncertain venture to the five level. The play started club ace, diamond queen ducked, diamond knave won with the ace. How do you play now?

You need more than just to avoid a heart, in addition you must find a resting place for your third diamond. South appears to have the king of diamonds and that should give you an idea. Clearly if hearts are 3-3 and you guess correctly, you'll be OK (and 5♣ would have gone for 800!) but the only way you can cope with a 4-2 split is if that person has duty to guard another suit. So you can only be successful against Qxxx with South as he will be overburdened by his need to keep the diamond king when trumps are run.

Accordingly my partner, Jim Gobert, played a heart to the knave a trick four. When that held he was in good shape. In fact the hand was soon over: on the run of the trumps South pitched the diamond king to ensure his partner kept guard in the suit. Jim showed him the ten and the recriminations were immediate. Why? Once the ♦Q held, North should play a low one, that way the duties to guard the red suits are joint rather than sole and declarer is without resource.

Published Saturday 29.Jan.2005