The price to be paid

This Sunday night, I watched Marjorie play 3 No-TRump on the last deal of a practice match against the team from Poland. She went down in the unluckiest way – even if she didn’t play well. I talk to her about it once the match is over.

Me: “My poor thing, too bad for the last 3 No-trump. Otherwise, you had a perfect match.”

Marjorie: “Well, I think I played normally. East opened 2♠ and after we arrived at 3 No-Trump, West led the Spade 10. East won this with the King and then cashed the Ace and continued with the Jack, which I won with the Queen. West discarded two small Clubs.”

Me: “Yes, I saw that. Then you played the Diamond Jack to play the forcing finesse, trying to tempt West to cover with the Queen if she had it. But she didn’t cover, so you went up with the Ace to protect against a singleton Queen to your right.”

Marjorie: “Then I came back to my hand with a Club to the Ace and I saw the Club Jack appear. So I had already seen 9HCP from East who had started with a weak two. I was really happy, I thought that West certainly held the Diamond Queen, otherwise there would have been 11HCP at my right! I confidently finessed and… disaster: East had the Queen! But it was normal to finesse, right?”