Some Lessons

	J 7 3
	A J 8 3 2
	J 9 3
	A J
10 9 2		Q 5
10 7		9 6
10 7 5 4 2		K Q 8 6
6 5 4		Q 10 8 3 2
	A K 8 6 4
	K Q 5 4		Vul: Both
	A		Contract: 6 hearts
	K 9 7		Opening lead: various

This hand had a couple of lessons to offer, mostly centering on the handling of the spade suit. Now, you don't * have * a * finessing * position * in * spades! You either drop the queen short or you have a spade loser. And if you drop it as a singleton, you still have a loser in a spade contract, though not in a heart. If the queen drops doubleton, then the people in grand slam are going to be very happy, and if it doesn't? Well, there is a possibility of sluffing it on a club, which I'll get to in a moment. But you have to remember that if the luck of a doubleton queen is there, it's there for everyone and you'd better join them in the lucky break. Lead the J? That works only if the queen is second hand and an opponent declines to cover. So you're courting a double jeopardy there. The honor not only has to be placed right, but you've gotta get an elementary defensive error to boot. You'd do well not to kid yourself on these situations.

The most common error, of course, was simply leading the jack of spades, second hand covering. Now the 10 of spades will stand up and declarer can't make 13 tricks, which was especially costly to one in grand slam who lost about 25 IMP's on the play! One incautious play can cost that much.

A few people went to the club hook to shed a spade. Okay. At least there's a finesse there and it just might have worked. But wait a minute. Before taking that finesse, how about cashing two rounds of spades in case the queen is going to drop? Okay, you don't wanna do that in little slam. You could lose two tricks that way, and you don't want to jeopardize a six bid for an overtrick. Shouldn't we favor the club hook over the drop of the queen by virtue of the odds? By golly that would seem to be the case. We can see that the finesse loses while going for the drop wins, but we don't play bridge that way -- after looking at all the cards -- and it certainly isn't a wrongheaded play even if it doesn't happen to work. But if you're in grand slam? Try the drop first! The extra undertrick you may undergo is a pittance compared to what a grand slam is worth -- a hundred points compared to 2000 (roughly). You've got plenty of entries back and forth. So cash the top two spades and then take your club hook -- except that, lookee here! That's the queen falling and you don't wanna take that club hook after all.

The real losing line was found by the declarer who led the jack of spades, and when it went uncovered, went up with the K! Now that has to be wrong. He can't possibly drop the Q 10 and 9 of spades in two rounds with 5 outstanding. And if you keep away from plays that must be wrong, you're a lot more likely to come up with a line that works.

And one more declarer offered a lesson: This declarer in 6 no went down two on a diamond lead. We can see that 7 no trump would make if the spades are played right, an awfully lucky break, so I have to tread lightly here. But I have pointed out elsewhere that on a balanced fit (at least four trump in each hand), you'll probably be better off in a trump contract than in no trump. Now, this isn't a certainty. If you've got all top cards, no trump would be preferable. Any ruffing potential you have would only mean ruffing a winner in its own right. But I would say that by and large, on a balanced fit, you're safer and if both contracts are safe, you're likelier to get an overtick in the trump contract. This, of course, is especially valuable in a major suit, where an overtrick would best those in no trump without an overtrick. So you'd want to give consideration to no trump when your suit is a minor.

This declarer got a diamond opening lead after an auction where the heart suit was mentioned only in a Blackwood response! -- a nine-card suit can't be uncovered in the bidding? In any event, when declarer led the J of spades and it was covered, he now had no hope, whereas in 6 hearts he could afford that one trick and still make his slam.