One player I know avows that any finesse is a 50-50 proposition: Either it will work or it won’t. That approach is seductive, but some finesses are in fact more equal than others.

At four hearts, South won the first spade with the ace and had to decide how to use his dummy entries. Being a believer in drawing trumps, he led one to his ten at the second trick. West took the queen and led another spade, won by dummy’s king.

South then led the jack of clubs, but East played low; West’s queen won. South ruffed the next spade and lost a trump to the ace, but West exited with his last trump. South lost a club to East’s king at the end.

South’s play would work if East had the queen of trumps or if he had the K-Q of clubs. It would work if East’s clubs were K-x or Q-x (though then West might derail declarer by ducking the first trump lead with A-Q-8). Still, it seems to me that South’s best play is to lead a club to his ten at Trick Two, planning to pass the nine later.

Daily question: You hold: ? J 10 9 7 ? A Q 8 ? Q 10 9 ? Q 6 3. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one spade and he raises to two spades. What do you say?

Answer: The only question is how many notrump to bid. Most of your 11 points consist of “quacks,” honors that will be usually be of more value at notrump. Your pattern is as flat as can be. Bid 2NT. Your partner can pass, raise, return to spades or bid three of a suit to sign off.

North dealer

N-S vulnerable

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