By Barry Rigal

It is relatively unusual to take a finesse in the auction, but even more unusual to reject one. That was what happened to Peter Weichsel of USA II in his team's 14th round Bermuda Bowl match against Australia. Weichsel held these cards as East:

ª A 9
© A J 10 8 5 4
¨ A 6
§ A J 10

This was the auction:

West	North	East	South
1¨ (1)	3§	3©	Pass
3ª	Pass	4§	Pass
4©	Pass	??

(1) Precision.

At this point, Weichsel paused, by his estimation, for 10 minutes; we know him to be a deliberate player. Finally, he bid the heart slam. This was the full deal:

Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.
	ª 10 7 6 © 6 ¨ Q 7 5 § K Q 8 4 3 2
ª K Q J 3 © Q 3 ¨ K 10 8 3 2 § 9 5		ª A 9 © A J 10 8 5 4 ¨ A 6 § A J 10
	ª 8 5 4 2 © K 9 7 2 ¨ J 9 4 § 7 6

As Weichsel told me, he figured partner Alan Sontag to hold 4-2 in the majors, with 4-2-5-2 the most likely shape, and with 11-13 high-card points. If dummy delivered the expected honour in hearts and two low clubs, he would be well placed if dummy had the ©K. He could cash the top hearts and hope to pitch clubs on dummy's spade winners.

But what if dummy had the ©Q, not the king? Much would depend on the opening lead. If clubs appeared to be 7-1, Weichsel would simply finesse in hearts. If, as happened at the table, a high club was led, he could assume the suit was 6-2. In that case he would win the §A, cash the ©A and run the spade suit to pitch his club losers. Assuming North held three spades, Weichsel would succeed if North had a singleton heart or the doubleton ©K, in which case North would have to ruff with his trump trick.

And so it proved: Weichsel said that when dummy delivered what he had expected, the play took no time at all. On the lead of the §7, Weichsel cashed the ©A, ran four spade tricks and claimed. In the other room, 4© made plus 420, so this was a 22-IMP swing.

The Bangalore Express

By Manoj Nair - Bangalore, India

The readers of the Daily News are not merely to be found in Paris. One of our Indian correspondents emailed his views on a deal reported in yesterday's edition.

The first deal featured in the bulletin from this match may be a classic case of if the finesse is right, don't take it.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª A 9 7 5 2 © J 9 2 ¨ Q 7 3 § 8 3
ª 4 3 © A Q 8 ¨ A K 5 4 § A 9 5 2		ª K 10 8 6 © 7 5 3 ¨ 10 6 § K Q J 7
	ª Q J © K 10 6 4 ¨ J 9 8 2 § 10 6 4

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Abecassis	Weichsel	Soulet	Sontag
			Pass
1NT	Pass	2§*	Pass
2¨	Pass	2NT	Pass
3NT	All Pass

With West declaring 3NT trick one comprised the spade 5, 8, J & 4.
At trick two South returned a heart and declarer put in the eight, then guessing wrong when North played back the seven of spades.

The view from the sub-continent is that declarer's play of the ten of spades on the seven of spades is very suspect. What holding did he think the lead was made from?

ªAQ75 or ªAQ752?
No as then the nine would have won the first trick.
ªA9752?
Then the king is the right play.
ªQ975?
Unlikely with the given bidding. Also the six is the right play to block suit. Then South will be caught in a red suit squeeze on the run of the clubs.
ªQ9752?
Then the six is the right play.

QUEENS COUNT

By Maureen Dennison

In the first set of the Senior's semi-final, Kit Woolsey found a quiet defensive play to put declarer, John Onstott, off his stroke. This was the hand:

Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.
	ª Q 6 5 © A K Q 7 ¨ Q 6 2 § 10 7 6
ª K 10 3 © 5 4 2 ¨ 5 3 § A K Q J 9		ª A J 9 7 © J 3 ¨ K J 10 9 8 7 § 2
	ª 8 4 2 © 10 9 8 6 ¨ A 4 § 8 5 4 3

West	North	East	South
Hayden	Woolsey	Onstott	Robinson
		Pass	Pass
1§	Dble	1¨	Pass
1NT	Pass	2ª	All Pass

South led ©10 and Woolsey carefully took with ©K, cashed the ©A and switched to a low diamond. Well, of course, with only seven points in the heart suit, he had to have the diamond ace for his double. Declarer put up the king - wrong! I know it was only worth 1 IMP but what a nice way to earn it!

Battle of Wits

By Patrick Jourdain (Wales)

This deal from the Round 13 match between France and Brazil was a good battle of wits between Multon as declarer and Chagas-Branco in defence:

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª A K 9 8 7 3 © 5 4 ¨ A 10 9 8 § 4
ª J 4 2 © A 9 7 ¨ K Q J 7 4 3 § Q		ª Q 6 © K J 10 8 6 3 ¨ - § K J 8 7 6
	ª 10 5 © Q 2 ¨ 6 5 2 § A 10 9 5 3 2

West	North	East	South
Quantin	Chagas	Multon	Branco
			Pass
1¨	1ª	2©	3§
4©	All Pass

Branco led the ten of spades and Chagas began with the king and ace. At many tables North now tried to cash the ace of diamonds, planning to continue with the third spade. That plan was short-lived. Chagas avoided this trap continuing at once with the third spade. Multon solved his immediate problem by ruffing high and playing a trump to the seven. He then led the king of diamonds off the table. Chagas knew that if declarer had held a diamond he would have discarded it on the third spade, so he smoothly played low. Multon, taken in, ruffed the diamond, crossed to dummy drawing trumps and then led the queen of clubs.

If South wins this he is endplayed, forced to set up an extra trick for declarer in one of the minors. So Branco did very well when he allowed dummy's bare queen to hold. Now Multon was at the crossroads. He had nine obvious tricks, and there may have been a hitch from South that gave away the position of the ace of clubs. So, although he had earlier placed the ace of diamonds with South Multon now decided to make a loser-on-loser play of leading the queen of diamonds and when Chagas played low again, he threw a losing club from hand.

When the diamond held Multon was home.