Show BETTER BRIDGE ty Iy c C H. H COREN s North I Ii Q 9 V J 7 t 76 1 i 12 2 West East EastA A 10 1084 84 t A 7 65 V V 4 K Q 10 1092 9 2 4 eft 10 7 4 Q QI J 8 5 South A AJ 3 2 V 1 A Q 10 6 4 A AI AJ I The bidding South West est North East 1 lp 2 24 2 24 2 A Pass Tass 3 Pass rals 3 31 A Pa Pass Pass POM Pass ras Pass ras Opening lead King of or diamonds We Ve are back on subject of oC finesses a again aln toda today We Ve are crusading at this time for a little respite on behalf of what we se believe be- be lie e to be the most overworked gadget adget in the game Even where no no clues are available one way or the other finesses should be avoided a if there is a safer method of oC approach But where the evidence evidence evidence evi evi- evi- evi dence points to the likelihood of failure a declarer Is remiss Indeed I who does not work out some other plan In today's hand West's Vests very questionable overcall of two diamonds dia dia- monds moods would seem to mark him himas as guilty guilly of or possession of or the king of oC hearts and any line of play that does not take this Into consideration con con- must be he unsound The bidding has no points o of outstanding interest It will be noted however er that South avoided the common error of opening with one no trump The hand is decidedly decidedly decidedly de de- de- de too stron strong for lor such a bid It has close to five honor trIcks trick tricka a point count of or 20 which brings it within a queen of oC an opening two no trump bid All such hands hand must be opened with one of a suit From then on South pussyfooted until he decided on the final contract contract contract con con- tract which incidentally was as a doubtful choice The king of diamonds was wa opened and declarer saw no pom point in holding up since the fall of oC th the jack would give away ay the show Eight tricks were in sight and i it appeared to declarer that there ther was nothing more than the forlorn forlorn for for- lorn hope that the heart finesse finess would work He impatiently wen went to it and a trick one-trick set wa was promptly recorded To play upon the theor theory that West Vest did not hoi hold the king of oC hearts was inviting I failure In any event there should have been no hurI hurry about taking the finesse It could do no harm to run the four lour spade tricks Let us assume that West Vest discards a 8 heart The ace of oC clubs is cashed and then the king Declarer isnow js is now in a position to take the heart finesse if iC he chooses But a little study in arithmetic is in order West Vest has shown up with three spades and two clubs and presumably presumably abl ably has left leCt at this point the king and another heart which means he had only five diamonds orIgInally originally A diamond Is led and West Vest wins If he cashes the remaining diamonds he will be obliged ed at the end to lead away from the king of hearts In Into to declarers declarer's ace Perfect defense by West Vest however however however how how- ever will defeat the contract He must refuse to cash the rest of oC his diamonds It is evident that de de- declarers declarer's declarers declarer's carer's jack of diamonds was his last If he had held it guarded he could have ha taken an earl early heart finesse into the South hand with perfect safety East is therefore marked with the eight of diamonds and he should be put in with that card in order that the heart lead might come from him If West Vest rises to the occasion and defends in this manner declarer can do nothing about it but West Vest should be made to work for his marbles Copyright 1948 by C C. H H. Goren |