Finesse Expert

Pages: Page 4 of 5

Dealer: West
Vuln: Love All
Scoring: IMPs
  1. spadeA J 4
  2. heartA J 5
  3. diamondA K J 10 8
  4. clubK 4
Green square in centre
  1. spadeK 10 3
  2. heartQ 9 8 3
  3. diamond9
  4. clubA Q 8 7 2

Contract: 6NT
Declarer: East
Lead: spade8
West North East South
2diamond* Pass 2NT~ Pass
3NT# Pass 4club Pass
4diamond Pass 4heart Pass
4NT Pass 6club Pass
6diamond Pass 6NT Pass
Pass Pass

* Multi
~ tell me more
# 21-22 balanced

Flint won with spade10 and immediately took a diamond finesse, losing to the queen. Another spade was won by dummy's ace and Flint must have felt very sick when North showed out on the second diamond! He cashed all the non-heart winners, and was able to obtain an exact count, finding South with a 2-3-6-2 shape and North with an original 5-3-1-4.

As you lead towards dummy's heartAJ at trick twelve (naturally you have unblocked heartQ) you know that either the finesse will work, or that North started with the king of hearts and four clubs - in which case he has been squeezed and heartK will drop.

Ace or jack?
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