Do You See It?

After North’s transfer bid and subsequent leap to 5♠ to suggest a slam, you accepted the invitation because you have a suitable hand. You have 11 top tricks, so how do you propose to make a 12th when West leads a trump and East follows?

Solution

After you take the trump lead in the dummy and draw the remaining trump, you then have a choice of three finesses in the side suits. So, should you finesse the ♥J, the ♦Q or ♣J?

Certainly this is a somewhat misleading question for if you take any of them and the finesse loses, you will have to guess what to do next. You may be surprised to learn that there is a 100% line available, by playing on hearts and covering East’s card on the first round of the suit.

Suppose East follows with the ♥6 or ♥7. You play the ♥8 and West wins with the 10 but must give you your 12th trick in whichever suit he returns.

Of course, it makes no difference if East plays the ♥9. You will cover with the jack, losing to West’s queen, and your ♥A K 8 will then be a tenace against West’s 10-5-3. The same would be true if East had started with 10-9-7 in the heart suit and inserted the 10 or 9.