When I teach or talk about bridge I always spend some time discussing the desire of intermediate players to take every finesse they see!

Quite often, as on today’s hand, even a successful finesse will not produce an extra trick, and declarer did not see the danger of losing the finesse. See Figure 1 for the hand and Figure 2 for the bidding.

Both West players did not want to give anything away on opening lead (I love that with these strongish balanced hands) and led a low trump and dummy’s ten held the trick.

At the first table, the declarer played briskly. His first move was to lead a heart to the King followed by a low heart back to the Ace. When he led a third heart from table, East threw a diamond and declarer ruffed low.

Now, hoping that West had the King of diamonds, declarer continued with a low diamond to dummy’s Queen. Alas, East took this with the king and returned a trump. West played Ace and another trump, taken by the ten in dummy. As declarer still had to lose a club and a heart, he finished one trick short of his contract.

At the other table, declarer reflected on the trump lead and decided that he needed a 3-2 break there. Like the other declarer he played on hearts.

However, after ruffing the third round of hearts, declarer led a diamond to the Ace at trick five to lead a fourth round of hearts. When East discarded a second diamond, declarer ruffed it and then led the King of trumps (confident if the trumps were 3-2 then the defender with the Ace would have begun with three cards in the suit).

After winning the Ace of trumps, West led a diamond to East’s King. The club return allowed declarer to claim ten tricks: three trumps, three hearts, two heart ruffs and two diamonds.

There are a couple of interesting things about the opening lead on this deal. I quite like trump leads especially when I hold a nice hand with scattered values. Typically from Axx a low one is advised as it keeps control of the trump suit. It worked like charm on this hand.

Second, I’ll bet a lot of money that, hearing that North has a singleton club, most defenders with the West hand will cash their Ace at trick one — disaster on this deal as declarer can now discard two diamonds on the KQ of clubs and cross-ruff the hand.

If North has a stiff club, it is a rare hand where declarer can discard it on another suit so West should be patient. Remember, “Aces are meant to take kings!” Corny, dated — but usually true!

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, June 23

North/South

1. Rachael Gosling-Jane smith

2. Richard Gray-Wendy Gray

3. Jack Rhind-Charles Hall

East/West

1. Diana Diel-Stephanie Kyme

2. Martha Ferguson-Judy King

3. Gertrude Barker-Molly Taussig

Monday, June 26

North/South

1. Joseph Wakefield-David Cordon

2. Rachael Gosling-Margaret Way

3. Elysa Burland-Greta Marshall

East/West

1. Lorna Anderson-Heather Woolf

2. Patricia Siddle-Diana Diel

3. Martha Ferguson-Judy King

Tuesday, June 27

1. Malcolm Moseley-Mark Stephens

2. Benjamin Stone-Desiree Woods

3. Sally Irvine-Wenda Krupp

Wednesday, June 28

North/South

1. Kathleen Keene-Donna Leitch

2. William Pollett-Linda Pollett

3. Richard Gray-Wendy Gray

East/West

1. Patricia Siddle-Diana Diel

2. Sheena Rayner-Molly Taussig

3. Margaret Gray-Rachael Gosling

Thursday, June 29

1. Elizabeth McKee-Linda Pollett

2. Benjamin Stone-Judy King

3. Sharon Shanahan Lisa Ferrari

Granaway Bridge Club

Wednesday, June 28

North/South

1. Judy King-Elizabeth McKee

2. Julia Lunn-David Cordon

3. Richard Gray-Wendy Gray

East/West

1. Molly Taussig-Sheena Rayner

2. Diana Diel-Stephanie Kyme

3. John Glynne-Lisa Ferrari