Don't Finesse #11-12

IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

I hate to take finesses so I’m always on the lookout for an alternate play. In a recent team game, this hand presented several options.

Scoring: IMPs (Teams)

#11-12
Dlr	E
Vul	E/W

	K102
	KJ3
	Q63
	Q754

	J7
	1086
	J10972
	KJ3

	AQ983
	Q942
	8
	1062

	654
	A75
	AK54
	A98

West	North	East	South
		Pass	1NT
Pass	3NT	Pass	Pass

Pass

BIDDING: Sitting South I opened 1NT and my partner raised to game.

PLAY: West led the jack of diamonds and I could count only six certain tricks. I doubted the diamonds would yield a fourth trick so I needed some luck in the club suit. I won the first diamond in my hand and played a low club toward dummy. West rose with the king and played a second diamond. I won this in dummy and watched East signal with the nine of spades. I continued playing clubs and was relieved when the suit divided 3-3. I now had eight tricks and my ninth would have to come from one of the major suits. I could try the 50% heart finesse but I saw a different solution that guaranteed the contract. East was down to hearts and spades so I led a spade to dummy’s ten and waited for East to lead into dummy giving me the extra trick. Notice it makes no difference if West plays the jack on this trick. That ten of spades was my insurance.

The contract was defeated at the other table when declarer first tried the heart finesse and then led a spade toward the king.