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A little planning saves a poor result.

Today’s deal tests one of the fundamentals of playing a contract. That half of those who were declarer in a routine 1NT contract failed to make 7 tricks suggests that the fundamentals are not always being followed.

 

West leads 10 to East’s A with East returning 4. What is your plan and in particular, which card do you play to trick 2?

It would seem that at several tables, South started with J, reasoning that if this finesse lost, they would still have an entry to their own hand to try the heart finesse. When first the diamond and then the heart finesse lost, the South players might throw their hands up in despair complaining of their bad luck. Unfortunately, it was short-sighted play which contributed to their downfall (when the heart finesse subsequently lost, the defence were able to take three club tricks, two red suit kings and AK for one down).

 

 

If the above was the reason that the South players attacked diamonds first, then their argument is not valid since after losing the diamond finesse, East would provide South with an entry to hand as the defence would continue their pursuit of club tricks. Whatever the lay-out of the club suit was, the defence would have eventually at least 3 club tricks and AK to take.

The real question which these South players did not consider or answer is whether they would rather take one finesse or two in pursuit of their contract? Of course, had the diamond finesse worked, South would have 7 top tricks (4 diamonds, A and 2 club tricks) and they could then make overtricks by taking the heart finesse, still having control of the club suit.

However, when the diamond finesse loses, South needs to take the heart finesse as well to make their contract. That is not true if declarer takes a losing heart finesse first of all. Then, South has three certain heart tricks, along with AK and two club tricks, 7 tricks.

Even playing Pairs, making your contract is almost always the most important factor. By all means try for overtricks when your contract is secure. The only exception is if you are clearly in the wrong contract (say 3NT instead of 4 where +600 would be a very poor score because 4 is cold). You may not score a top board by attacking hearts first in today’s deal but you would not record the poor result that several South players achieved by the wrong line of play.

Could South have played AK first to see if Q fell in the first two rounds? That is fine except when it does not fall, you must not play a third round of diamonds and you are in the wrong hand to take the heart finesse (hearts may be 3-3 with West holding K). So, it is better to start with the finesse that guarantees your contract.

After East takes K and plays a third round of clubs, South can take their heart tricks and then cash AK but not taking a diamond finesse which would then see the contract fail if the finesse fails.

So, count your real and possible winners before you embark on your plan. Maybe do a couple of quick “what ifs?”. Had those who failed in 1NT done that exercise after winning trick 2, they would not be complaining about their bad luck.

Richard Solomon

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