The Bridge Corner
By Gary Mitchell

The bidding explained: South’s jump to three Hearts promised a good six-card or longer suit and 16-18 points.

The play: You win the Diamond Ace, play a Heart to your hand, getting the bad news. You have no entry to dummy, so in the due course of time you will lose one trick in each suit. Down one, again!

There is an axiom in bridge, “Eight ever, nine never.” This refers to whether or not you should finesse when you hold eight or nine trump and you are missing the Queen. With nine or more, never finesse for the Queen, but with eight or less, always finesse. This assumes you have the Ace, King and Jack. 


Well, here is a case where you should finesse holding 10 cards in the suit. So much for rules! Why should you know to take the finesse? You don’t know the Hearts are 3-0. However, your job is to make your contract. If you win the opening Diamond lead, lead a Heart from dummy and take the finesse, what can happen? The finesse might work, in which case you would have 10 tricks. Or, the finesse might lose, in which case, with Hearts breaking 2-1, you can now win any return after they take their Diamond trick, and lead a Spade. They win the Ace, but after pulling a second round of trump, the Heart five is an entry to dummy to discard a losing Club on a good Spade! 


Rules are meant to be followed most of the time. There are always exceptions.

Questions: email me at gary@smabridge.com.  Lessons: Call 152-6351.