DEVELOP YOUR bridgeBRIDGEbridge
Home > Declarer > Finessing (continued)


 

 

 

 
Tutorial
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Odds and Ends

 

Finessing (continued)

So far, we have only considered one finesse position.

Now try this:-

A Q J 10 3 #  6 5 4

Most of you will recognise this as an extension of the first finesse we considered. The missing card is still the King, and we must lead from right-hand.

If our first finesse is successful, we must return to right-hand via another suit (not this one else you will lose to the King), and repeat the finesse, continuing this process until the King falls under the Ace.

Sometimes when entries to the crucial hand are limited, a high card is helpful like the Jack here.

J 5 4 # A Q 10 6 3

The King is still missing and instead of leading a small card, we can lead the Jack, and let it run if the King doesn't appear. We are then in the correct hand for repeating the finesse.

Another situation, try this:-

K J 3 #  A 6 5

Here, the Queen is missing and we shall lead from right-hand, finessing the Jack if the Queen does not appear.

Or try this similar one:-

 K 6 3 # A J  5

This is virtually the same problem with the Jack moved over. Lead from left-hand and finesse the Jack if the Queen doesn't appear. In both these last two cases, your chances are marginally improved if you play a high card first (the A in the first and the K in the second), just in case the Queen is a singleton.

Sometimes, we must lose a trick and the object of the exercise is to limit your losers to one.

K Q 3 # 6 5 4

The Ace must take a trick here, but if we lead (twice if necessary) from right-hand, we can make two tricks if the Ace is with South.

Sometimes, we are really up against it:-

Q 6 5

#

 A 4 2

A pretty miserable collection, this, but if we lead a small card from right-hand, the Queen will make whenever the King is with South. We must lose one trick, but we take two. It is usually better to hang onto your Ace, as a control, rather than playing it before your finesse.

Notice the big difference between the one above and this one:-

Q J 10 #  A 4 2

Here we can afford to lead the Queen from left-hand, and with the King in North's hand, we lose none and make three tricks

You may prefer to take a break at this point before continuing this topic. You are about two-thirds the way  through.  I've given you several options:-
Top of page

Start of this topic

Printing option

Contact Ray

 

 The origins of bridge (6)

You can return to the start of this topic if you wish.

Ely Culbertson's ideas spread across the Atlantic and gave rise to the system still largely used in the United Kingdom today. Its name, Acol, derives from the small North London bridge club in a road of that name where it was first played in 1934. The originators were a group of players including Harrison-Gray, Ian McLeod (the politician), Jack Marx, Terence Reese and S J Simon.

An impetus that was given to the development of a British system was the loss, by no small margin, of a British team to one captained by Culbertson in a match played over 300 hands.

Let Ian McLeod describe it to us in an extract from his book 'Bridge is an easy game'.

You can continue this topic here if you wish.