HAPPY holidays to you all and I hope 2006 brings you wonderful things both at and away from the table.You will all be making your New Year’s resolutions soon and if you have a separate one for bridge, can I suggest ‘put off taking the finesse until all other chances have been exhausted’. Try this and it will pay dividends.

I chose today’s hand before choosing the suggested resolution but it does, in fact, contain a spurned finesse. Declarer is a long-time friend of mine, Sir Eddie Kulukundis, whose family have strong Bermuda connections.

Eddie is a bridge fanatic and plays the game to a really high standard. Here is an instance where he was declarer in a tricky 3NT contract which needed a combination of skill, table presence and conviction in order to succeed. The hand was reported by the excellent Andrew Robson in London’s Times newspaper.

Dealer South, E/W vulnerable: North<$>

[spade]K Q 4

[heart]9 5 3

[diamond]A Q 6 3

[club]7 5 2

West East

[spade]A J 8 5 [spade]9 6 3

[heart]A 10 4 [heart]Q J 8 7 2

[diamond]8 5 [diamond]9 2

[club]K J 8 4 [club]10 9 3

South

[spade]10 7 2

[heart]K 6

[diamond]K J 10 7 4

[club]A Q 6

South West North East

(Sir Eddie)

1NT (1) Pass (2) 2NT (3) Pass

3NT (4)1. 13 -15

2. After a revealing pause

3. Disciplined invitation

4. Aggressive but the five card suit is a positive

West led a low spade and Eddie won the queen, crossed to a diamond and played another spade. West flew in with the ace and cleared spades, and this play convinced Eddie that West had all the high cards and was confident of an entry. Rather than take the finesse, Eddie decided to run all the diamonds and watch West squirm.

This was the position with one diamond left to play:North<$>

[spade]None

[heart]9 5 3

[diamond]None

[club]7 5 2

West East

[spade]J [spade]None

[heart]A 10 [heart]Q J 8

[diamond]None [diamond]None

[club]K J 8 [club]10 9 2

South

[spade]None

[heart]K 6

[diamond]K

[club]A Q 6On the last diamond West was dead. If he throws a spade Eddie could exit with a heart — East can overtake to lead a club but declarer rises with the ace, exits with a heart and makes another club. If he throws a heart, the six of hearts sets up the king and two club tricks. If he throws a club, ace and another club does it! No escape!

Well done to Sir Eddie — who, by the way, is married to the delectable Susan Hampshire, one of Britain’s leading actresses.