BridgeHands

Google BridgeHands

 HOME  Encyclopedia  Newsletter  Laws  Products  Services  Reviews  Tournaments  Blog  Training  Practice   HELP
 You are at:

 

More Declarer Play The Bergen Way

 
 
   
 

Order More Declarer Play here                   Order other Bergen books
Bergenisms - Index to More Declarer Play the Bergen Way


Chapter 5: Maximizing Your Entries .................................. 57


© 2006 - Marty Bergen

 

Chapter 6

To Finesse or Not to Finesse?

© 2006 - Marty Bergen


Page 69
To Finesse or Not to Finesse?

The Case of the Missing Queen

Contract: 6
Lead:
A
N-S vul
   North
K Q 9 2
5
K 10 8 2
K J 9 8
     
 
 
       South
A J 10 8 5
4
A J 9 5 4

A 4
   

West   North   East     South

  2      Dbl.     5      6

All Pass

E-W took advantage of the favorable vulnerability to make life very difficult for N-S. South’s jump to 6 did not come with any guarantees, but with such a good hand, it would have been a mistake to not bid a slam after North’s takeout double.

West led the A and exited with a trump. To make his slam, South needed to avoid a diamond loser.

Of course, everyone knows that the normal play with nine cards missing the queen is to play for the drop: “eight ever, nine never.”

© 2006- Marty Bergen


Page 70
To Finesse or Not to Finesse?

However, because playing for the drop is only slightly better than taking a second-round finesse, South was in no hurry to commit himself in diamonds. Instead, he set out to discover what he could about the E-W distribution in the other suits.

Any time you have a chance to acquire potentially useful information, you should be delighted to do so. This is especially true when there is more than one way to play a particular suit. Sometimes, you are able to learn only a little; at other times, a complete count of the other suits is available – as long as you are willing to observe, discover and count.

South won the trump shift in his hand with the jack and led another spade to dummy’s king. When both opponents followed, declarer turned his attention to finding out how the seven E-W clubs were distributed. South cashed the A and led a club to dummy’s king. He then led a club from the board and ruffed it. When West showed out on the third round, South knew it all.

West was known to have started with two spades and two clubs. Declarer placed West with six hearts for his weak two-bid. Therefore, West must have exactly three diamonds. South cashed the A, and led the 4 and confidently finessed dummy’s 10. Making six.

 

© 2006- Marty Bergen


Page 71
To Finesse or Not to Finesse?

Here is the entire deal:

Contract: 6
Lead:
A
N-S vul
   North
K Q 9 2
5
K 10 8 2
K J 9 8
     West
7 4
A J 10 7 3 2
Q 7 3
7 5
     East
6 3
K Q 9 8 6
5
Q 10 6 3 2

 
 
       South
A J 10 8 5
4
A J 9 5 4

A 4
   

West   North   East     South

  2      Dbl.     5      6

All Pass

By the way: When declarer ruffed the third round of clubs, suppose West had followed. South would then have crossed to dummy with a trump and led North’s last club as a discovery play. Once declarer learned whether West started with three or four clubs along with his known eight cards in the majors, South would know exactly how many diamonds West started with, and would play accordingly.

 

© 2006 - Marty Bergen


Chapter 7: The Right Time to Finesse ............................... 77


HOME  Encyclopedia  Newsletter  Laws  Products  Services  Reviews  Tournaments  Blog  Training Practice Links HELP
Contacts: Sales  Support  Reviews  Q&A    Disclaimer    Privacy    © 2005 BridgeHands   Updated 01/22/11