“I wasn’t sure which finesse to take,” Cy the Cynic shrugged after today’s deal. “One was as likely to win as the other.”
“Indecision seems to be your problem,” I said.
“It may or may not be,” Cy replied.
Cy played at six spades, and West led the jack of clubs: queen, king, ace. The Cynic could land the slam if he won a finesse with the jack of hearts or the jack of diamonds. But a losing finesse would be fatal: The defense would cash a club.
Cy waffled by taking the A-K of hearts and ruffing a heart. When the queen didn’t fall, he cashed the ace of diamonds, drew trumps and let the ten of diamonds ride. Alas, down two.
FINESSE
Cy’s play wasn’t bad: He would win if a defender had Q-x or maybe Q-x-x in hearts or if the diamond finesse won: about a 55 percent chance.
A better play, which works as the cards lie, is to draw trumps and take the A-K of diamonds. If the queen doesn’t fall, finesse in hearts. That play offers about a 66 percent chance.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S K J 9 2 H A K J 9 D 10 6 2 C Q 5. You are the dealer. What is your opening call?
ANSWER: This is a mandatory opening bid, and since most pairs employ the “five-card-majors” style, they would grit their teeth and open one diamond. That is a system requirement with 4-4-3-2 pattern. But no system should override judgment, and if your judgment tells you to open one heart, treating your stout suit as a five-carder, I sympathize.
South dealer
Both sides vulnerable
NORTH
S K J 9 2
H A K J 9
D 10 6 2
C Q 5
WEST
S 8 5
H 10 7 4 2
D Q 5
C J 10 9 8 4
EAST
S 7 6 4
H Q 8 5 3
D 8 7 3
C K 7 3
SOUTH
S A Q 10 3
H 6
D A K J 9 4
C A 6 2
South West North East
1 D Pass 1 H Pass
1 S Pass 4 S Pass
6 S All Pass
Opening lead — C J
