26th September 2018

A deal from a Bramhall Duplicate in August.
Dealer N Game All.

S K93
H AQJ10
D A8652
C 2
   


   
S Q104
H 984
D 1074
C AQ84

South
West
North
East


1D 1S
1NT
Pass
Pass Pass

You arrive in one notrump after a short auction, West leads the spade seven to the three, five and ten.  You take a heart finesse which holds, what do you do now?

At teams this deal would be easy, continuing hearts guarantees three heart tricks, two spade tricks and the minor suit aces for seven tricks.  At pairs it is more difficult,  if the heart finesse is working and the club finesse is also working, then you may make as many as nine tricks.  At the table declarer tried the club finesse which lost.  The defence played two more rounds of spades and when East turned up with the heart king declarer went one down.  It all depends on whether you think East is capable of ducking the heart smoothly at trick two.