Both vulnerable. North deals.

April 10, 2006 at 12:00a.m.

Both vulnerable. North deals.
NORTH
K Q 10 4
10 5
A Q J 7
A Q 4
WEST EAST
7 2 8 6
A 8 6 4 J 9 7 2
? 5 3 2 ? 6
? 7 5 ? 10 8 6 3
SOUTH
A J 9 5 3
K Q 3
10 9 4
9 2
The bidding:
NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST
1 Pass 1 Pass
4 Pass 4NT Pass
5 Pass 6 Pass
Pass Pass
Opening lead: Ace of
Bidding to sound contracts is well and good. However, you need the technique to make the most of your assets.
Both North and South were a little pushy in the auction. North, with a soft 18 high-card points and a balanced hand containing five losers, might have been content with an invitational raise, and South might have tried a cue-bid of five hearts rather than Blackwood.
West led the ace of hearts and continued the suit, and declarer had a problem. There were finesses in both minor suits available. However, since the defenders have already banked their book, South cannot afford to take a losing finesse. Which finesse should South take first, or doesn't it make any difference?
All the difference in the world! Suppose declarer starts with the club finesse and it works. There is no club loser on the hand, but there is still one in diamonds, so South will have to take the diamond finesse next. However, if South starts with the diamond finesse and it wins, the contract is home -- declarer discards his losing club on the fourth diamond.
After winning the second heart, declarer draws two rounds of trumps, ending in hand. The ten of diamonds is run and, if it wins, the diamond finesse is repeated. Declarer returns to hand with a trump and takes a third finesse in the suit, discards his club loser on the ace and claims the slam.
Why take two finesses when one will do?
This column is written by Tannah Hirsch and Omar Sharif. For information about Charles Goren's newsletter for bridge players, call (800) 788-1225 or write Goren Bridge Letter, P.O. Box 4410, Chicago, Ill. 60680
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