Hand XV
Counting the hands, and refusing a finesse.
The Play
Remark (Trick 1).—A has not both king and queen of diamonds, or he would have led one. B has not either king or queen of diamonds, or he would have played one of them instead of the ace. Therefore, Y must have one of those cards. Z draws this inference at the time. It will not be of any use to him until near the end of the hand.
Remark.—B has led from exactly five clubs (see Appendix A).
Remark.—The ace would be an echo (see p. 128).
Remark (Trick 6).—The policy of this lead is doubtful. Players are apt to show their suits in this manner. But it is clear, the opponents having led diamonds and clubs, that if Z has strength in any suit it is in spades. The objections to showing a suit in this way are: 1, that it may be trumped the first round; 2, that partner may have only one card of it. In the latter case he cannot return the lead, and must open or continue another suit to a disadvantage.
Remark.—Y has the long trump.
Remark (Trick 9).—Z’s play in not finessing is very good. He can count Y’s hand, thus: Y has no more clubs (see Remark, Trick 3), he has the last trump, and three other cards. These cards must either be queen, ten of spades, and a diamond, in which case Z’s play does not matter; or the nine returned by Y must be his best spade, in which case he can only have one more, as he would return the higher of two remaining cards (see p. 79), and his other cards must then be two diamonds. Therefore, assuming the case in which Z’s play does matter (i.e., of Y’s nine being his best spade), Y’s diamond must be guarded.
Consequently, Z, by not finessing, makes sure of the game. He requires one more trick besides the ace of spades and his partner’s trump, and this trick Y is certain to make in diamonds if Z leads through A’s hand (see Remark, Trick 1).
Tricks 10 to 13.—Z (Trick 10) leads a diamond, and, however A plays,
YZ score three by cards and two by honours.
The Hands
(Z’s hand is given above.)
| A’s Hand. | Y’s Hand. | B’s Hand. | |||
| Qn, 8, 3 | ♠ | 9, 5 | ♠ | 10, 7, 6, 4 | ♠ |
| Knv, 7, 4 | ♥ | Qn, 10, 6, 5 | ♥ | 9, 8, 3 | ♥ |
| 9, 8, 5 | ♣ | Kg, Qn, 7 | ♣ | Ace, Knv, 10, 3, 2 | ♣ |
| Kg, Knv, 7, 5 | ♦ | Qn, 10, 9, 6 | ♦ | Ace | ♦ |
As the cards happen to lie, YZ only score four if Z finesses at Trick 9, and A plays properly. A, on winning this trick with the queen of spades, should see that his only chance of making two more tricks is to be led up to in diamonds. He should therefore (Trick 10) lead the seven of diamonds, which Y is compelled to take, and AB save the game.