Focus On Best Line

I wish you all A Merry Christmas.  Christmas is not season, it’s a feeling to care and share.

In the above deal when West lead the ©K, a cursory glance suggests that ruffing spades in dummy, cross ruffing, or suit establishment all seem potential lines.

However, the solidity of dummy’s diamond suit suggests that this is where Suth will find extra tricks, but he has only one entry to dummy - §Q.

To preserve this entry, it is essential that the declarer does not indulge in ruffing any spades on the table, since this will shorten his holding and make it impossible to land the lead there when he needs it.

South should not finesse West for the ¨K, even though his overcall might suggest that he is more likely to hold ¨K than his partner since, if this is wrong, the contract is defeated.

Instead, south should win trick one with ©A and lead ¨2 to dummy’s Ace.  ¨Q is led next and, when East plays small, declarer pitches his ©4 – a classic ruffing finesse.  West wins but, whatever her leads, South can take control, cash §AK and cross to dummy’s §Q to play out all his winning diamonds, throwing his spade losers from hand.  One must focus on the best possible line of play.  Even one rash flourish can cost you your contract….

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