Lesson 21
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Lesson of the Day
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We will come back today to the play with dummy after spending the last three weeks thinking about defence's game. Indeed this is the last lesson of the programme which will propose a new technique to your pupils as declarers: its about the notion of the double finesse, which completes the teaching on the manipulation of the basic suit. Before getting them to play the first deal of the day, it would be useful to do a bit of theory on the board.

A reminder of the notions concerning finesses

Your pupils are familiar now with the simple finesse which necessitates the correct position of an opponent's card. Write on the board two examples of a simple finesse:

one direct:
A Q
the other indirect:
K Q 4
 
 
 
5 3
  
5 2

Ask them under what conditions the finesse succeeds. They should answer without difficulty. Remind them that they have studied recently (see lesson No. 16) the possibility of repeating a simple finesse. Two more examples to write:

repeated direct finesse:
A Q J
repeated indirect finesse:
K Q 4
   
 
5 3 2
  
6 5 3

To the question "how do you play to make two tricks in each of these suits?", your pupils should reply: "by playing twice towards the high honours (in dummy) and hoping that that opponent's high card is situated before".

Explain to them now that the object of today's lesson is to play suits where there are at least two honours missing.

Write the example now which will be taken up in the deal of the day:

5 4 2
A J 10

Ask your pupils if there is a way of taking advantage of this placement to make a second trick in the suit. Their acquired experience should allow them to find what happens if they play a small card from dummy.

Detail the mechanics:

- either East plays the 3: you play the 10 which takes the trick,
- or East plays the Queen or King: you take with the Ace and re-play the Jack to establish the 10.

Get them to remember that the idea of the declarer is therefore to play a small card towards his 10. And now ask the following question: if the 10 is taken by the Queen (for example), what can one do? Don't let your pupils search too long; show them that, the Queen having fallen, they possess with Ace-Jack a fork which allows a simple finesse of the King. They must simply get back into dummy to achieve it, playing low towards the Jack.

Pass quickly on to the deal of the day.