Puzzle This

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Detective work

In a team game against a good pair, you feel your card looks good with one deal to go. If you can avoid a big loss on the last board, you have a shot to win. With that in mind, you pick up

♠A Q 7 5 4  ♥4 3 2  ♦A 5   ♣A K J

Your balanced shape argues for a notrump bid, but your hand is too strong, so you start with 1♠. This is your auction:

WEst North East South
Pass Pass 1♠
Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠
All Pass

West leads the ♥J, and this is what you see:

Dlr:
North
Vul:
N-S
North
♠ J 10 9 8
♥ 7 6 5
♦ K 9 4
♣ Q 10 9
South
♠ A Q 7 5 4
♥ 4 3 2
♦ A 5
♣ A K J

East takes his three high hearts and shifts to the ♦J, which you win in dummy with the king. What is your plan? If you call for the ♠J, East will follow with the 2.

View Solution

If you have been paying attention, you will give no thought to letting the ♠J ride.

Do you remember the auction? East, a passed hand, has already shown up with 10 high-card points — the ♥A K Q and the ♦J. If East held the ♠K, that would give him 13 HCP, and he would never have passed in second seat. It is pointless to take a finesse that cannot succeed, so you go up with the ace, and find that this was the full deal:

North
♠ J 10 9 8
♥ 7 6 5
♦ K 9 4
♣ Q 10 9
West
♠ K
♥ J 10 9 8
♦ Q 8 6 2
♣ 5 4 3 2
East
♠ 6 3 2
♥ A K Q
♦ J 10 7 3
♣ 8 7 6
South
♠ A Q 7 5 4
♥ 4 3 2
♦ A 5
♣ A K J

Thinking of the spade suit by itself, the percentage play for five winners is to finesse. In this case, your detective work told you that play was a loser.