DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

If the shoe fits . . . find another one just like it. When you make an assumption in the play, see where it leads.

South took the king of spades and led the 10 of trumps to finesse. East gratefully took his king and shifted to the queen of diamonds, and South lost two diamonds plus a club to East’s ace. Down one.

“Why finesse in trumps when the opening bidder probably has the king?” North wanted to know.

“He could have had the ace of diamonds and not the king of trumps,” was South’s defense.

2001, Tribune Media Services

Assumes Worst

If East has the ace of diamonds, South never loses more than three tricks: a club, a trump and one diamond. So South should assume the worst: that West has the ace. But then South can assume that East has the king of trumps; if West had an ace and a king, he’d respond to East’s opening bid.

South should lead a trump to the ace at trick two. If the finesse would have worked, he loses an overtrick; but the correct play saves the contract as the cards actually lie.

East dealer

Both sides vulnerable

NORTH

A 5

(Heart) A J 9 4

* 8 4

Q J 8 6 2

*--*

WEST EAST 8 7 6 Q J 10 9 4 (Heart) 6 3 2 (Heart) K A 9 5 2 Q J 10 6 7 4 3 A 10 9

*--*

SOUTH

K 3 2

(Heart) Q 10 8 7 5

* K 7 3

K 5

*--*

 EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH  1 Pass Pass Dbl Pass 3 (Heart) Pass 4 (Heart) All Pass

*--*

Opening lead-- 8

Question of the Day

You hold: Q J 10 9 4 (Heart) K * Q J 10 6 A 10 9. You open one spade, your partner bids two hearts, you rebid two spades and he tries three hearts. The opponents pass. What do you say?

Answer: Partner promises six or maybe seven good hearts but no more than 10 points in high cards. Four losers are likely at a heart contract--your queens and jacks may be useless to partner--and you may not be able to set up and cash his hearts at notrump. Pass.