September 2020 - 41

Newer Players

Parrish the Thought
BY ADAM PARRISH

adam@adamparrishbridge.com

adamparrishbridge.com

A-Q-10 suit combinations
The other day, my partner was in a
slam and had to figure out how to play a
tricky club suit. The opponents did not
participate in the auction.
Dummy
♠KQ8
♥AK65
♦Q87
♣ Q 10 9
Declarer
♠ A J 10 5 4
♥73
♦AK2
♣A32
No losers anywhere but clubs, where
she could lose two tricks. What's the
best way to win two club tricks and
lose only one?
My partner played the ♣A and then
led the ♣2 to the ♣Q. East won the
king. Subsequently the opponents got
the ♣J as well: down one. Could she
have done better?
Without the ♣10, that would be the

➤ Card Play 101 continued
fourth). However, you need two spade
tricks for your contract. So you must
assume the clubs are breaking 3-2.
Cash the ♣K and ♣Q, then lead the
♣10 (critical play) to dummy's ♣A.
Next, take a spade finesse. It loses, but
you get back on the board by leading
your ♣2 to dummy's ♣7. The second
spade finesse works, and you are home.
◾

right way to play this suit. The hope
is that West has the ♣K, so we would
lead up to the ♣Q, taking a simple
finesse. However, having the 10 and 9
provides another possibility: a double
finesse.
A double finesse means we take two
finesses in the suit, and hope that one
of them works. We're expecting to lose
one of them and hoping to win the
other.
In this case, we're going to lead clubs
from the dummy twice, taking two finesses against East; if he holds either
the ♣K or ♣J, we'll make our contract.
Let's see how it works.
We start with the ♣Q. If East has the
♣K and covers, life is easy: We win the
♣A, use the ♣10 to knock out the ♣J,
and now the 9 is high.
If East plays a small club, we duck
the ♣Q. If West wins the ♣K, now the
suit looks like this:
Dummy
♣ 10 9
Declarer
♣A3
The ♣K and ♣Q have already been
played, so we're now interested only
in the ♣J, and we can take a simple
finesse against East: Lead the ♣10, and
let it ride if East plays low.
My student's line was 50%, playing
for West to hold the ♣K.
My line makes if East holds either
the ♣K or the ♣J. Which is better,
West holding one card or East hold-

ing either of two cards? Your odds that
East holds either the king or the jack
are 75%.
Of course this line of play is not foolproof. West could have both the king
and the jack. But all we can do is play
the odds, and 75% is better than 50%.
You'll see this combination come up
often, so it's good to recognize it. The
key elements are that your goal is not
to lose two tricks in the suit when you
are missing the king and jack, but hold
the ace, queen, 10 and 9. Those cards
can be spread between the two hands
any way you like.
Dummy
♠Q 3 2

Declarer
♠A 10 9

Dummy
♥10 4 3

Declarer
♥A Q 9

Dummy
♦10 9 2

Declarer
♦A Q 3

Dummy
♣4 3 2

Declarer
♣A Q 10

Notice that when they're all in one
hand, you don't need the 9; when
they're split up, you do.
Be on the lookout for these combinations; they come up all the time!
◾

September 2020 Bridge Bulletin

41
http://www.adamparrishbridge.com
September 2020

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