This column continues the instructional summer series, and may well turn out to be the most boring column I’ve ever written and probably the most boring you’ve ever read. But that does not excuse you from reading it – it’s like homework, hate it as much as you want, but you have to get it done.

It is to do with declarer play and how one plays the combination of QJ32 opposite A654 – a combination that will come up thousands of times in your bridge journey, often in the trump suit.

Players can’t resist “taking the finesse” even though it is a horrible play and is destined to lose on multiple distributions against the 100 per cent correct play of laying down the Ace and then leading towards the Queen-Jack.

Before we get to the solution you must understand the problem and that starts with knowing that there is no way to avoid a loser in this suit – none at all, no matter how the opposing cards are distributed. Some players think “what if Kx is onside?” as in this layout:

Well, you play the Queen, RHO correctly covers with the King and you eventually lose a trick to the ten.

Once you accept that you have to lose one trick then your goal must be to avoid losing two tricks and that is where the correct play is essential.

So, to repeat, you can never gain by attempting the “finesse” – sometimes it won’t matter, but some times it ends up being the losing play.

Below I lay out the possible distributions that will cost you if you start by playing the Queen.

So imagine you are looking at :

If the opposing cards are K9 on your left and 1087 on your right both plays will lose one trick.

If the opposing cards are 1087 on your left and K9 on your right both plays will lose one trick , as RHO will cover the Queen with the King.

Now we come to the problem distributions:

• K1098 on your left singleton - 7 on your right

• K1097 - 8

• K1087 - 9

• K987 - 10

• K10987 - Void

On each of these if you start by playing the Queen you will lose two tricks – if you start by playing the Ace and then leading towards the QJ you will lose only one.

And then we have:

• Singleton K on your left 10987 on your right

• 10987 on your left Singleton K on your right

In both cases starting by playing the Queen will lose you two tricks – cashing the Ace first will lose you just one trick.

So, in summary, making the right play will never lose, and will in certain cases gain.

As you get used to this play you will learn when to deviate from it – such as if your holding is QJ32 opposite A954 where you can bring in the whole suit if LHO has 10x – but we will leave that for another day!

I told you it would be boring ……but being bored for half an hour is a small price to pay for getting consistently better results over years to come!

• David Ezekiel can be reached at davidezekiel999@gmail.com

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, July 3

1 Stephan Cosham/Margaret Way

2 Sancia Garrison/Jane Smith

3 Diana Diel/Stephanie Kyme

Monday, July 6

North/South

1 Elizabeth McKee/Stephnie Kyme

2 Charles Hall/Tony Saunders

3 William Pollett/Linda Pollett

East/West

1 Sancia Garrison/Jane Smith

2 Patricia Siddle/Diana Diel

3 Martha Ferguson/Judy King

Tuesday, July 7

North/South

1 Tracey Pitt/David Leach

2 Ross Cooper/Desiree Woods

East/West

1 Andy McComb/Jaques Bonneau

2 Miruna Dudceac/Dan Stefan Viad

Wednesday, July 8

North/South

1 Elysa Burland/Magda Farag

2 Richard Gray/Wnedy Gray

East/West

1 Linda Pollett/William Pollett

2 Sheena Rayner/Molly Taussig