Exercise 2P41 Main

Are Your Finesses on Target?

by Richard Pavlicek

As declarer, you are often faced with a finessing option at trick one.
Do you think out the right play? Or do you just throw random darts?
Test yourself as South on these deals.

1. A Q 2 West North East South
None vul J 10 7 1 NT
A J 2 Pass 3 NT Pass Pass
9 7 5 3 Pass
Table
Lead: 6

4 3
K Q 8 2
K Q 8 4
3 NT South A K 2

How many top tricks do you have?

Which spade do you play from dummy at trick one?

2. A Q 2 West North East South
Both vul 7 3 1 NT
10 9 7 3 Pass 3 NT Pass Pass
K Q J 2 Pass
Table
Lead: 8

J 9 3
A J 5
K Q J 8
3 NT South A 6 3

How many top tricks do you have?

Which spade do you play from dummy at trick one?

Quit
Top Are Your Finesses on Target?

3. K J 2 West North East South
Both vul A J 8 4 1 Pass 1
J 4 3 Pass 2 Pass 3
A 6 5 Pass Pass Pass
Table
Lead: 4

9 3
K Q 10 9 7
A 6 2
3 South J 4 3

How many top tricks do you have?

Which spade do you play from dummy at trick one?

4. A Q 3 West North East South
E-W vul Q 10 9 2 1
8 6 2 Pass 3 Pass 4
A Q 6 Pass Pass Pass
Table
Lead: 5

7 6 2
A K J 8 4 3
A 9 3
4 South 4

How many top tricks do you have?

Which club do you play from dummy at trick one?

Quit
Top Are Your Finesses on Target?

5. K 2 West North East South
None vul Q 10 8 1
A Q J 8 6 Pass 2 Pass 2
J 8 3 Pass 4 Pass Pass
Table Pass
Lead: 5

A Q J 10 5 3
K J 7
9 7 4
4 South 2

How many top tricks do you have?

Which diamond do you play from dummy at trick one?

6. J 8 4 3 2 West North East South
N-S vul — 1 1
A 7 5 4 4 4 Pass Pass
K 9 7 6 Pass
Table
Lead: 5

A K Q 10 9
K 6 2
J 6 3 2
4 South 3

How many top tricks do you have?

Which suit do you play from dummy at trick one?

Quit
Top Are Your Finesses on Target?

1. A Q 2 Trick Lead 2nd 3rd 4th
None vul J 10 7 1. W 6 2! 10! 3
A J 2 2. E Q K 4 3
9 7 5 3 3. S 2 3 J 4
J 9 7 6 5 Table K 10 8 4. N 10 5 8 A
A 6 3 9 5 4 5. W 5 Q K 4
5 3 10 9 7 6 Win the rest
8 6 4 Q J 10
4 3
K Q 8 2
K Q 8 4
3 NT South A K 2

If you played the Q at Trick 1, it would lose to the king and your A would be driven out, then you would be set. Ducking the first trick preserves your spade stopper, after which 10 tricks are easily made by forcing out the A.

2. A Q 2 Trick Lead 2nd 3rd 4th
Both vul 7 3 1. W 8 A! 5 3
10 9 7 3 2. N 3 5 K 2
K Q J 2 3. S Q 4 7 A
8 6 4 Table K 10 7 5 4. E 10 J K 3
K 8 6 2 Q 10 9 4 5. W 2 7 9 A
6 4 2 A 5 Cash 6 more winners
10 8 4 9 7 5
J 9 3
A J 5
K Q J 8
3 NT South A 6 3

It looks comfortable to take the finesse in spades, but the danger lies in another suit. East would win the K and shift to hearts, then you would fail. The surefire play is to win the A and force out the A, which guarantees three more tricks in diamonds.

3. K J 2 Trick Lead 2nd 3rd 4th
Both vul A J 8 4 1. W 4 2! A 3
J 4 3 2. E 7 3 2 A
A 6 5 3. N A 3 9 2
Q 10 7 4 Table A 8 6 5 4. N 4 6 K 5
5 2 6 3 5. S 9 7 J 5
K 10 8 5 Q 9 7 6. N K 6 4 10
K 10 2 Q 9 8 7 Lose 3 more tricks
9 3
K Q 10 9 7
A 6 2
3 South J 4 3

You need two more tricks, and the spade suit is the best chance. Playing the jack (or king) would not allow two tricks because East should have the ace (West would not normally underlead an ace). Hence, ducking offers some hope. And it works!

4. A Q 3 Trick Lead 2nd 3rd 4th
E-W vul Q 10 9 2 1. W 5 Q! 3 4
8 6 2 2. N 2 7 A 5
A Q 6 3. S 3 6 9 7
J 8 5 Table K 10 9 4 4. N A 9 3 2
6 5 7 Lose 3 tricks
K 10 7 Q J 5 4
K J 8 5 2 10 9 7 3
7 6 2
A K J 8 4 3
A 9 3
4 South 4

You need one more trick, and there are two finesses (spades and clubs) that might provide it. Hence, you should try them both. The fact that you have only a singleton club is immaterial. If the club finesse works, you gain a trick; if it loses, you still have the spade finesse as a second chance.

5. K 2 Trick Lead 2nd 3rd 4th
None vul Q 10 8 1. W 5 A! 2 4
A Q J 8 6 2. N K 6 3 4
J 8 3 3. N 2 8 A 7
9 7 4 Table 8 6 4. S Q 9 3 6
A 4 3 2 9 6 5 5. S 9 2 J K
5 K 10 3 2 Lose 2 more tricks
A Q 10 5 4 K 9 7 6
A Q J 10 5 3
K J 7
9 7 4
4 South 2

West’s lead is almost surely a short suit, and probably a singleton. If you took the finesse, you would be defeated before you ever gained the lead. Win the A and draw trumps for 10 easy tricks.

6. J 8 4 3 2 Trick Lead 2nd 3rd 4th
N-S vul — 1. W 5 4! A 2
A 7 5 4 2. E 9 2 8 A
K 9 7 6 3. N 2 6 A 5
5 Table 7 6 4. S K 3 3 7
Q 9 7 5 3 A J 10 8 4 5. S K 7 5 4
K Q 10 8 9 6. S 3 4 K A
J 5 4 A Q 10 8 2 Lose 1 more trick
A K Q 10 9
K 6 2
J 6 3 2
4 South 3

With all those trumps, it looks natural to trump all your hearts in dummy. But that adds up to only nine tricks, and you would be defeated as the cards lie. The key is to build your K into a winner by pitching a diamond, after which you can still ruff three times in dummy to ensure 10 tricks.

Study 2P41 Main Top Are Your Finesses on Target?

© 1994 Richard Pavlicek