This is one of a series of Declarer Play articles. These articles build upon each other, so I recommend that you study them in order.
On the two previous pages, we saw how to reduce losers by trumping them in the dummy or discarding them on extra winners in dummy.
Now, we’ll focus on reducing losers through finessing. (If you’d like to review the basic mechanics of finesses, refer to these articles: Finesses and Squishing Finesses.)
Review of Taking Inventory
Example 1
| Dummy ♠ 8 4 2 |
| You ♠ A Q 5 |
Before we can devise a plan to minimize our losers, we first need to identify them. This process begins by taking a detailed inventory of potential losers.
In each suit, we evaluate the number of tricks Declarer might lose based on the number of cards held in Declarer’s hand. For example, if Declarer holds three spades, we assess three rounds of spades to determine the potential for losing tricks in that suit. This systematic approach helps clarify the situation and forms the foundation for planning effective play to reduce losses.
To take inventory of three rounds, we consider the three highest cards available between Declarer’s hand and Dummy’s hand combined. We then assess the potential outcome as if each of these cards were played sequentially, one after the other. This method helps evaluate how many tricks can be won and how many might be lost in the suit.
The ♠A wins, the ♠Q loses to their ♠K, and the ♠8 loses to any higher card. So the inventory for this suit is 1 winner and 2 losers.
Example 1 (repeated)
| Dummy ♠ 8 4 2 |
| You ♠ A Q 5 |
When playing the cards, we typically avoid leading from the highest card down to the lowest as imagined during the inventory process, since doing so can allow the opponents to maximize the tricks they win.
Instead, you can aim to reduce your two spade losers to one by leading from the dummy toward the “losing honor” (♠Q) and attempting a finesse. If the ♠K is positioned on your right, the finesse will succeed, preventing the ♠K from capturing your ♠Q and minimizing your losses in the suit. This approach demonstrates how strategic play can significantly improve the outcome of the hand.
If you win this finesse, you not only win a trick with your ♠Q, you also reduce your losers from 2 to 1, AND you keep the lead.
But if you lose this finesse, your ♠Q gets squished, you do not reduce your losers, AND you lose the lead. So sad…
When finesses lose, you get no benefit. You might even wish you hadn’t tried the finesse in the first place.
A common question arises: “Since losing a finesse can be risky, should I avoid attempting finesses altogether?”
Not at all. The key is understanding when a finesse is the best option and when another approach might be more effective. As Declarer, your primary objective is to minimize your losers. Finesses are just one tool among many to achieve this, and knowing when to use them can significantly improve your play. We’ll explore strategies to help you decide when a finesse is worth attempting and when it might be better to pursue an alternative plan.
So first we need to see when winning a finesse would reduce losers, and when it wouldn’t.
It can be surprising to realize that even if a finesse is successful, it may not always reduce your losers. That’s absolutely correct, and it’s an important concept to understand.
On this page, we’ll focus on practicing situations to determine when a finesse actually helps to reduce losers and when it might not make a difference. This understanding is key to making informed decisions during the play of a hand.
When do Finesses Reduce Losers?
Winning the following finesse does not reduce losers.
example 2 (repeated)
| Dummy ♠ J 4 2 |
| You ♠ A Q 5 |
The ♠J has now been added to the dummy.
This changes the inventory to 2 winners and 1 loser. The ♠A wins the first trick, the ♠Q loses to their ♠K, and once the ♠K is played, your ♠J is promoted to a winner.
Now, let’s explore what happens to that one spade loser if you lead toward your ♠Q and attempt a finesse…
If the finesse loses, their ♠K captures our ♠Q, which promotes the ♠J in the dummy. We’ll still win tricks with the ♠A and ♠J, but we’ll lose the trick when our ♠Q is taken during the finesse. Losing the finesse doesn’t eliminate our one spade loser, which is expected since we didn’t anticipate a failed finesse to improve the situation.
Now, consider what happens if the finesse succeeds. The ♠Q wins, and the ♠A becomes the second winner. However, what about Dummy’s ♠J? When it’s played, it will be paired with your ♠5 on the same trick and will lose to their still unplayed ♠K. In this scenario, even a “winning” finesse does not reduce the number of spade losers.
That’s just what we started with – 2 winners and 1 loser.
So winning the finesse did NOT eliminate our spade loser. It just changed which of our lesser honors loses a trick.
Why didn’t winning the finesse reduce losers?
example 2
| Dummy ♠ J 4 2 |
| You ♠ A Q 5 |
Take another look at our starting position. The ♠Q and ♠J are in separate hands, which means their ♠K cannot be favorably positioned to support both of them. As a result, the ♠K will always be able to cover one of these honors, preventing that particular honor from winning a trick.
When the finesse is successful, their ♠K remains unplayed, which means Dummy’s ♠J is not promoted to a winning card. This limits the potential gain from the finesse and leaves the overall position unchanged in terms of reducing losers.
It might seem odd, but you have 2 winners and 1 loser no matter what happens with the finesse.
Winning the following finesse does reduce losers.
example 3
| Dummy ♦ Q 4 2 |
| You ♦ A 8 5 |
The current inventory shows 1 winner and 2 losers.
The two low cards in your hand will be used during the tricks already counted as losers. However, a successful finesse can reduce those two losers to just one. When you lead the first low card toward Dummy’s ♦Q, the ♦K, positioned favorably on your left, will cover the ♦Q. This results in losing the trick, leaving your first low card as a loser as initially anticipated.
However, you still have a second loser to match up with your now-promoted ♦Q, turning the second losing spot card into a winner.
Another “winning” finesse that does not reduce losers.
Example 4
| Dummy ♦ Q 4 2 |
| You ♦ A 8 |
I’ve removed one of your spot cards
You have only 2 diamonds, so you inventory two rounds of the suit. The ♦A wins, and the ♦Q loses to their ♦K.
1 winner and 1 loser.
Now let’s focus on the two cards in your hand. It’s obvious which one is the winner and which is the loser.
Suppose you lead your ♦8 toward Dummy’s losing honor (♦Q), and the ♦K is played on your left.
So your original loser (♦8) remains a loser, losing to the ♦K.
We call this “winning” the finesse because the ♦Q is promoted when the ♦K plays without squishing the queen. You win the finesse, but you do not win the trick. Their on-sides ♦K wins the trick.
So your original loser (♦8) remains a loser, losing to the ♦K.
Are you wondering if there is any value at all to taking this finesse? Yes there is.
It doesn’t eliminate your diamond loser, but it does promote your ♦Q into a third round winner – an “extra winner in the dummy,” which you might be able to use to discard a loser from another suit.
| Dummy ♦ Q 4 2 ♥ A 7 |
| You ♦ A 8 ♥ 5 4 |
Like this:
You have a loser in each of these two suits.
- Cash your ♦A (to unblock your future extra diamond winner in dummy).
- Lead your diamond loser toward the ♦Q.
- If the finesse wins, the ♦K plays on your left.
- Then, the first time hearts are led, win with Dummy’s ♥A, and… cash Dummy’s extra diamond winner (♦Q) and discard your heart loser.
So… winning the diamond finesse eliminates your heart loser.
Coordinating two suits like this is a step toward better declarer play.
Example 5
| Dummy ♣ J 2 |
| You ♣ A K 8 4 |
Practice
What is the inventory?
Where is the finesse?
It’s crucial to finesse on the first round of clubs while Dummy still holds two cards in the suit. If you mistakenly cash a high club before attempting the finesse, Dummy’s ♣2 will be played, leaving only one card in the suit. When you later lead toward the ♣J, Dummy will no longer have a low card to play when the ♣Q appears on your left. Without a low card to cover, your ♣J would be captured by the ♣Q, effectively wasting it.
This principle applies to all finesses: you need two options in the hand you are leading toward. One card should be available to play if the opposing critical honor appears in the second seat, and another card to play if their critical honor does not appear. Having both options ensures the finesse can be executed effectively, adapting to the position of the opposing honor.
If the finesse on the first round “wins,” will it reduce your losers?
Is there an alternate way to reduce your losers?
Example 6
| Dummy ♣ A K 8 4 |
| You ♣ J 2 |
Practice
This is not the same as example 5… here I’ve switched your hand with Dummy’s.
What is the inventory?
Could you reduce your club losers by trumping?
Is there a finesse you could take?
It’s a fair question to wonder why one would attempt a finesse that risks increasing the number of losers. At first glance, it might seem counterintuitive and poor declarer play.
However, this scenario is similar to a previous example where creating an extra winner in Dummy allowed for the discard of a loser in another suit. The trade-off may involve losing a trick temporarily, but the ultimate goal is to position Dummy’s hand to provide an opportunity for a valuable discard. Revisiting that earlier example can help clarify this strategy.
Example 6 (repeated)
| Dummy ♣ A K 8 4 |
| You ♣ J 2 |
It might seem puzzling to take a finesse that risks increasing the number of losers, as it may appear to go against the principles of good declarer play.
In this case, however, the goal is to sacrifice one unnecessary trick in clubs in order to create two additional winners in Dummy. These extra winners can then be used to discard two potential losers from other suits, ultimately improving the overall outcome of the hand. Sometimes, short-term losses lead to long-term gains in declarer strategy.
Here’s how winning the finesse creates TWO extra winners:
- lead a low club from Dummy toward the ♣J.
- if the finesse wins, the ♣Q plays on your right, promoting your ♣J.
- the second round of clubs will be won by your ♣J, with Dummy playing the ♣8.
- the third and fourth rounds of clubs will be won by Dummy’s two extra winners (♣AK), while you discard two losers.
Let’s see how it works in a full hand:
Example 6 as full hand
| Dummy ♠ A K 7 3 ♥ 7 5 3 ♦ K 4 2 ♣ A K 8 4 |
| You ♠ Q J T 6 2 ♥ A K 2 ♦ A 7 6 ♣ J 2 |
“I see those clubs!” comes the excited exclamation.
Your contract is 6♠. You need to win 12 tricks.
The opening lead is ♥Q, which you will win (after completing your inventory and making a plan).
The inventory is 11 winners and 2 losers (a heart loser and a diamond loser). Oh-oh. Too many losers…
Can you trump either of your losers?
Can you finesse in either hearts or diamonds in hopes of reducing losers?
Does Dummy have any extra winners you can use to discard a loser?
How can you use your clubs to create extra winners in the dummy?
One final question: what must you do before you can execute this plan? The answer comes quickly: “I need to draw trumps first to ensure my other winners aren’t trumped.”
Summary:
Winning the club finesse increases your club losers by one, but eliminates two other losers. That’s a good result, provided the finesse actually wins.
Example 7
| Dummy ♥ 4 3 2 |
| You ♥ A Q J T |
Practice
3 winners and 1 loser.
The inventory shows that the ♥A wins, the ♥Q loses to the ♥K, and once the ♥K is played, the ♥J and ♥10 are promoted into winners. It’s important to note that your lower honors only become winners after the opponents’ ♥K has been played.
Would leading from Dummy and losing the finesse reduce your losers?
Would winning the finesse on the first round reduce your losers?
After winning the finesse by leading low to the ♥10, you would still hold ♥A, ♥Q, and ♥J in your hand. Now, imagine crossing back to Dummy to repeat the finesse, this time leading low toward your ♥J. If the first finesse was successful, we assume the second will also succeed. In that case, would this eliminate your heart loser entirely?
Example 7 (repeated)
| Dummy ♥ 4 3 2 |
| You ♥ A Q J T |
Having won the finesse twice, you would have ♥AQ left in your hand. If you repeat the finesse a third time, would you eliminate your loser?
With this holding, how many entries to Dummy are required to successfully finesse and eliminate your loser?
Finessing, Discarding, or Trumping?
Imagine you hold ♦AKJ with only small cards in Dummy. At first glance, this might appear to be a typical finessing position, where you would lead toward the ♦J and hope the ♦Q is favorably positioned. However, finessing is not always the optimal strategy.
Consider the following three examples where you hold ♦AKJ…
Example 8 (first example of ♦AKJ)
| Dummy ♠ A K 7 3 ♥ Q J 4 ♦ 5 4 2 ♣ J 8 3 |
| You ♠ Q J T 6 2 ♥ K 8 2 ♦ A K J ♣ 9 5 |
Your contract is 4 spades. You need to win 10 tricks and can only afford to lose 3.
The opening lead is a small club.
Take inventory:
Use declarer’s hand (your hand) as the master hand and count winners and losers for each suit…
The total is 9 winners and 4 losers. If that’s the final outcome of the deal, your 4 spade contract will fail.
My wife says that “fail” is too negative a word, and down one seems close enough to be considered “good.” 🙂
But let’s assume you would prefer to make your contract, and check the three main ways to reduce losers.
- Can you trump any of your losers in the dummy?
- Does dummy have any extra winners for you to discard any of your four losers?
- Can you turn any of your losers into winners by finessing?
Make a plan:
The diamond finesse is our only option for reducing losers. So our plan is:
- Capture the lead when you can. (They can cash ♥A, ♣AK first if they want…)
- Pull trump (Even though “reducing losers” is our focus, we must remember to pull trump before cashing our winners so the defense cannot trump any of them.)
- Take the diamond finesse.
If the finesse wins, you make your contract.
Example 9 (second example of ♦AKJ)
| Dummy ♠ A K 7 3 ♥ Q J T 3 ♦ 5 4 2 ♣ J 8 |
| You ♠ Q J T 6 2 ♥ K 8 2 ♦ A K J ♣ 9 5 |
Your contract is 4 spades. You need to win 10 tricks and can only afford to lose 3.
The opening lead is a small club.
Take inventory:
This hand is almost identical to the previous one, with the same 9 winners and 4 losers. There’s no need to ruff anything in Dummy, and with plenty of high trumps, you can still draw trump and take the diamond finesse. Why is this scenario being presented again?
It’s not a repeat. I’ve made a small but significant change—Dummy now has the ♥3 instead of the ♣3.
Even though it’s just one spot card, the situation changes slightly. You still have the same ♦AKJ finesse, so taking the diamond finesse is still an option to reduce losers.
However, remember that you can only reduce your losers if the finesse is successful.
Wait… what’s that sound outside? Is that Paul Simon singing, “There must be 50 ways to lose your partner”?
Taking unnecessary finesses is definitely one of those ways. Instead, take a cue from Paul Simon’s wisdom:
“Don’t take the finesse, Tess.
Just discard the jack, Mack.
Or trump that loser, Bruiser.”
If you take the finesse and it loses, you can’t go back and choose to trump the card in Dummy or discard it on an extra winner in Dummy—it’s too late. Time travel isn’t allowed, so…
You should have checked if the one spot card I changed made trumping or discarding a viable option. These alternatives don’t carry the 50-50 risk of losing the trick, unlike finessing the ♦J.
Looking at the full hand diagram, it becomes clear what the better play is instead of taking the finesse. What detail did you notice?
Example 9 (repeated)
| Dummy ♠ A K 7 3 ♥ Q J T 3 ♦ 5 4 2 ♣ J 8 |
| You ♠ Q J T 6 2 ♥ K 8 2 ♦ A K J ♣ 9 5 |
Make a plan:
- The play starts just like the previous hand. Capture the lead when you can. (They can cash ♥A, ♣AK first if they want…)
- Pull trump.
- Drive out their ♥A, assuming they haven’t already cashed it.
- Recapture the lead in whatever suit they lead. You will have the master cards in hearts and diamonds, and you can trump the 3rd round of clubs. If East leads a diamond, do not take the finesse.
- Cash your hearts, discarding your losing ♦J on Dummy’s extra heart winner.
What ten tricks will you win?
A fly in your honey:
Defenders often try to disrupt our plans as much as possible. We’ve studied hold-up plays from Declarer’s perspective, but defenders can use the same strategy. If they hold up their ♥A and wait to play it until the third round, your hand will run out of hearts.
In that case, you’ll need an entry to Dummy in another suit to lead Dummy’s extra heart winner and discard your losing ♦J. The only potential suit for this future Dummy entry is spades. Therefore, when drawing trumps, make sure to preserve a high spade in Dummy for this purpose.
Example 10 (third example of ♦AKJ)
| Dummy ♠ A K 7 3 ♥ Q J T ♦ 5 4 ♣ J 8 3 2 |
| You ♠ Q J T 6 2 ♥ K 8 2 ♦ A K J ♣ 9 5 |
Your contract is 4 spades, so you need to win 10 tricks and can afford to lose no more than 3.
The opening lead is a low club.
Let’s take inventory:
This hand is similar to the previous two examples, but there’s one key difference—your extra heart winner is missing. Without it, the plan shifts back to relying on the diamond finesse to manage your losers.
An experienced player offers advice, saying, “You shouldn’t rush to take the finesse—it could fail. You’ve overlooked another method to reduce your losers.”
Which of the three methods to reduce losers was overlooked this time?
Make a plan:
How should this hand be played?
Review… What should be done with the losing ♦J in a spade contract?
ex 8: finesse it
| Dummy ♠ A K 7 3 ♥ Q J 4 ♦ 5 4 2 ♣ J 8 3 |
| You ♠ Q J T 6 2 ♥ K 8 2 ♦ A K J ♣ 9 5 |
ex 8: finesse it
| Dummy ♠ A K 7 3 ♥ Q J T 3 ♦ 5 4 2 ♣ J 8 |
| You ♠ Q J T 6 2 ♥ K 8 2 ♦ A K J ♣ 9 5 |
ex 8: finesse it
| Dummy ♠ A K 7 3 ♥ Q J T ♦ 5 4 ♣ J 8 3 2 |
| You ♠ Q J T 6 2 ♥ K 8 2 ♦ A K J ♣ 9 5 |
Example 11
| Dummy ♠ K J 8 3 ♥ A Q 6 ♦ T 4 2 ♣ K 8 3 |
| You ♠ A Q 6 ♥ 9 2 ♦ A 8 ♣ A Q J 7 6 4 |
Your contract is 6 clubs. You need to win 12 tricks and can only afford to lose 1.
The opening lead is ♦7.
Take inventory:
Count winners and losers:
Your inventory shows 11 winners and 2 losers. To fulfill your 6-club contract, you need to eliminate at least one of those losers. If you manage to eliminate both, you’ll score an overtrick.
“I like overtricks,” comes the enthusiastic comment.
Yes, overtricks are great, but always remember—never risk your contract in pursuit of an overtrick.
Assess and plan:
Let’s check the 3 possible ways to reduce losers.
- Can you trump any of your losers in the dummy?
- Does Dummy have any extra winners?
- Can you reduce losers by finessing?
What loser could you discard on Dummy’s extra spade winner?
“I’m planning to discard both of my losers on Dummy’s extra winner,” comes the confident statement. “Then I’ll make an overtrick. I love overtricks!”
It seems there’s a bit of wishful thinking here. It’s not possible to discard two cards from your hand on a single trick. Dummy has only one extra winner, so you can choose to discard either a heart or a diamond, but not both.
The two possible discards are not equally advantageous. Discarding one option keeps the possibility of making an overtrick while still securing the contract. Discarding the other ensures the contract is made but eliminates the chance of earning the overtrick.
Which is the better discard?
Example 11 (repeated)
| Dummy ♠ K J 8 3 ♥ A Q 6 ♦ T 4 2 ♣ K 8 3 |
| You ♠ A Q 6 ♥ 9 2 ♦ A 8 ♣ A Q J 7 6 4 |
Make a plan:
- Win the opening lead with your ♦A.
- Pull trump. (trumps split 3-1 this time)
- Play four rounds of spades, discarding the ♦8 on the fourth round.
We interrupt our plan for a quick challenge question, “What cards are left?”
Our complete plan is:
Example 11 (repeated)
| Dummy ♠ K J 8 3 ♥ A Q 6 ♦ T 4 2 ♣ K 8 3 |
| You ♠ A Q 6 ♥ 9 2 ♦ A 8 ♣ A Q J 7 6 4 |
- Win the opening lead with your ♦A.
- Pull trump (trumps split 3-1 this time)
- Play four rounds of spades, discarding the losing ♦8 on the fourth round
- Trump a diamond to get the lead back to your hand.
- Finesse the ♥Q, hoping the ♥K is on sides.
- Claim the rest of the tricks. You have only trumps and the ♥A left. If the finesse loses, and they lead a spade or a diamond, trump it to reclaim the lead. And if they lead a heart, you still have the ♥A.
If the opening lead were the ♥7 instead of the ♦7, would it still be possible to finesse the ♥Q on the first trick without jeopardizing your contract?
Example 12
| Dummy ♠ K J 8 3 ♥ A Q 6 ♦ T 4 2 ♣ K 8 3 |
| You ♠ Q T 6 ♥ 9 2 ♦ A 8 ♣ A Q J 7 6 4 |
Practice
Your contract is 5 clubs, meaning you need to win 11 tricks and can afford to lose only 2.
The opening lead is the ♦7.
Observing the situation, it’s noted, “This hand is almost the same. The ♠A has been removed, and the contract is now 5♣ instead of 6♣.”
“Exactly, those are the only changes,” comes the response.
Take inventory:
Count winners and losers:
Three losers is too many.
In most cases, Declarer needs to minimize their losers to achieve a favorable outcome. This hand is no different.
What will you focus on to help you develop a solid plan?
“I’ve made the mistake of prioritizing finesses in the past,” comes the reply. “This time, I’ll start by looking for opportunities to ruff or discard before considering a finesse.”
Let’s see if you can stay one step ahead.
Example 12 (repeated)
| Dummy ♠ K J 8 3 ♥ A Q 6 ♦ T 4 2 ♣ K 8 3 |
| You ♠ Q T 6 ♥ 9 2 ♦ A 8 ♣ A Q J 7 6 4 |
Can you trump any of your losers in Dummy?
Can you discard any of your losers on extra winners in Dummy?
Can you finesse anything to reduce losers?
What loser(s) might you be able to discard on Dummy’s extra spade winner?
The opening lead is a diamond. You will win the first trick with your ♦A. Why will it be impossible to later discard your low diamond loser on Dummy’s extra spade winner?
Make a plan:
- Win the opening lead with your ♦A.
- Pull trump.
- Drive out the ♠A, establishing an extra winner in the dummy.
- They can cash a diamond trick, requiring you to follow suit with your ♦8, your last remaining diamond. Afterward, you can win whatever they lead next because you hold the high cards in hearts and spades. If they lead a third round of diamonds, you’ll be able to ruff it..
Be cautious—if West leads a heart, avoid taking the heart finesse. Instead, play the ♥A. Attempting the finesse could result in losing the trick, which might jeopardize your contract. It’s safer to take control immediately so you can discard your heart loser, rather than risking it on the finesse.
- Cash the rest of Dummy’s spades, discarding your heart loser on the fourth spade.
| Dummy ♥ A Q 6 |
| You ♥ 9 2 |
Reflecting on the hand, it’s summarized: “When I saw Dummy’s ♥AQ6, I was certain I’d take a finesse. But now I realize that discarding my heart loser on Dummy’s extra spade winner will always eliminate it. The finesse only removes the loser if the ♥K is positioned favorably.”
That’s correct, but it’s also important to evaluate which method of eliminating your heart loser works best for the overall strategy of the hand.
If Dummy holds an extra winner (perhaps in diamonds) and you have two potential losers (your ♥2 and possibly a club), it might be better to discard the club. This way, you can finesse your ♥Q, and if the ♥K is favorably positioned, you can eliminate both losers.
Taking a moment to analyze the situation, the summary comes: “I think I get it now… Great!”
Example 13
| Dummy ♠ K J 2 ♥ K 4 3 ♦ K Q J 7 ♣ A Q 4 |
| You ♠ A Q T 9 8 ♥ A 9 6 ♦ T 9 3 ♣ 6 4 |
Practice
Your contract is 6 spades, requiring you to win 12 tricks while allowing only 1 loser.
The opening lead is ♥T.
Take inventory:
Count winners and losers for each suit.
There are 10 winners and 3 losers. Two of the losers must be eliminated.
- Can you trump any of your losers in the dummy?
- Does dummy have any extra winners to use for discarding losers?
- Can you turn any of your losers into winners by finessing?
Feeling overwhelmed by the options, the question arises: “There are too many choices. I’m confused. Can you give me a hint?”
Example 13 (repeated)
| Dummy ♠ K J 2 ♥ K 4 3 ♦ K Q J 7 ♣ A Q 4 |
| You ♠ A Q T 9 8 ♥ A 9 6 ♦ T 9 3 ♣ 6 4 |
Make a plan:
Here’s a hint: one of the options is guaranteed to work and will reduce your losers from 3 to 2. Can you figure out which one it is?
What must you do before you can develop Dummy’s diamond suit?
Which of your original losers will you discard on Dummy’s extra winner?
Now that we’ve figured out what to do, let’s put the pieces of our plan in sequence.
Making this 6♠ slam contract requires luck. The ♣K must be on sides.
- Win the opening heart lead.
- Pull trump.
- Drive out the ♦A to establish an extra winner in Dummy.
- If either opponent returns a diamond or a heart, win the trick. And if they return a club, your play depends on who led the club. If East leads a club, it eliminates your club loser when your ♣AQ play last. If West returns a club, you will have to take the club finesse right now.
- Play all your diamond winners, discarding your losing heart on the last one.
- Take the club finesse. To make this contract, this finesse must win.
“I’ll need to go over this hand a few times,” comes the reflection. “There are a lot of pieces to consider when figuring out the plan.”
Good idea, my furry friend.
A young brown creature considers leaving the wilderness to learn the game of bridge.
Summary for Finessing to Reduce Losers
Not all finesses are equal:
- some winning finesses reduce losers
- some winning finesses do not reduce losers
- a losing finesse never reduces losers
Before finessing, check for…
- trumping in Dummy (pulling trump first if you can)
- discarding on extra winners in Dummy
This is the final article in the Declarer Play section. If you haven’t yet read the earlier articles in this section, it’s a good idea to do so now. Alternatively, you might enjoy exploring the sections on Bidding, Defense, or How to Win Tricks.