From                   12th September, 2007, Board 28

                                          Theme                Postponement of Trumps

                                          Difficulty            * * * 

                                          Dlr East             N-S Vul                Hands Rotated

                                                                                                 for Convenience

A New Minor Forcing auction uncovers the 4-4 Heart fit.  East’s opening lead is the 9♦.

Plan the play.

SOLUTION

The simple approach is to draw trumps (let’s assume in 3 rounds) ending on the board, and play on Spades.  If the K♠ is onside and the suit is 3-3 that will be 12 tricks.  That’s fine, but suppose (after 3 rounds of trumps) the Spade finesse loses to East’s King.  Another Diamond comes back, and now, even if the Spades are 3-3, Dummy does not have the entries to establish and enjoy the suit.

As often happens, when there is a side-suit to be established, and when entries are scarce, it pays to set up the side-suit early in the play, using trumps later in the play for communications.  The best line, after winning the opening Diamond lead, is to finesse the Q♠ immediately.  Here is the full hand:

The finesse loses, a Diamond is returned, then a Spade to the Ace, a Heart to Dummy’s Queen, and a third round of Spades ruffing in hand with the Nine.  But now we have communications in trumps to get to the established Spades, and it’s 11 tricks.

Keys to Success

   - Taking a Spade finesse at Trick Two

   - When that finesse loses, continuing to set up the Spades before drawing trumps