Two chances are better than one

[Photo/China Daily]

Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, said, "It is a damn poor mind indeed that can't think of at least two ways of spelling any word."

In this deal, though, there are two ways for South to try to amass 12 tricks in six no-trump. After West leads the club nine, South chews over the options－which should he choose?

When South opened one no-trump, showing 15-17 points, North knew the combined values were 32-34 points. The magic number for six no-trump without a five-card suit or a 4-4 fit is 33. So North drove into slam via Gerber, which asked for aces. North's alternative was to respond with a quantitative four no-trump. Here South, with a maximum 17 points, would have jumped to six no-trump.

South has 11 top tricks: one spade, two hearts, four diamonds and four clubs. He has two finesses, one in each major suit, that could produce a 12th winner. Declarer hopes to find West with the spade king or heart queen. (If East has both of those cards, the slam would be makable with a squeeze-endplay, but South would need X-ray vision.) Should declarer try spades or hearts first?

The rule is to take the finesse for the higher honor first. So, declarer should lead a spade toward dummy's queen. Here, that works perfectly, but if East could take dummy's queen with the king, the heart finesse would still be available.

Note, though, that if South takes a losing heart finesse first, he will fail, whoever holds the spade king.