Sunday, May 22nd 2011

30 teams! What a turnout. No hand records, of course, for the Swiss teams "Eight is Enough" event.

.Planning for 12 tricks --Necessary Finesse
AKQx            Jx
AJ10xx           xx
AK10             8xxx
x                     AQJxx

A good bidding sequence might be:
2C-2D (showing some values, 2H would be a "bust")
2H-3C
3NT-4NT (invitational, notrump raises are usually not Blackwood)
pass

However, 6NT was reached at one table and 6H (East, thanks to an artificial bid) at the other. Declarer counts 4 spade tricks, 1 heart, 2 diamonds and 1 club; a second club can be forced and the hearts may provide up to four tricks if South holds Kxx or Qxx. To manage that you must use the two entries in East's hand to finesse twice in hearts, but also establish and cash the extra club. Win the opening lead (diamond or spade) in the West hand, keeping the Jack of spades for a later entry. Finesse the club at trick two; if this works, you'll have your second club trick and the two entries needed for the hearts. If it fails, you may still manage 10 or 11 tricks depending on how the hearts behave; taking the club finesse early insures you can cash two club tricks when you return to East with the Jack of spades.

In fact, South had Qxx of hearts and North had the King of clubs, but one declarer was down 1 and the other down 3. Millions of bridge columns have been written showing brilliant ways to avoid taking a finesse, but often there is no alternative.

At 4NT, you need only two extra tricks. Hearts offer the best chances so I would use the Jack of spades and then Ace of clubs to finesse twice in hearts. This will succeed unless North has at least KQxx in hearts.