BRIDGE

Miss and catch

Andrew Robson

WHEN DECIDING whether to finesse or drop to catch a missing honour, the 'Even Break Test' is a useful guide. Add up the number of missing cards, assume the suit splits as evenly as possible and place the missing honour in the longer length. Will it fall if the higher honours are played out (the `drop')? Let us say you are missing three cards including the king: assume the suit splits two-one with the king in the hand with the two; it will not fall under the ace so a finess should be taken.

Cover up the East-West cards and see if you can play this week's hand as well as declarer Emma Hyde. The key is to avoid losing to +0.

Dealer West North-South Vulnerable 4 A 7 3 V 8 7 3

• 9 8 7 6 4 A K 9

42 V AQJ92 • 10 5 3 4 6 5 4 3 4 9 5 3 V 10 6 4

• AKQJ 4 + Q 2

N W E

4 K Q J 10 8 6

VK5

• 2

J 10 8 7

South West North East

pass pass 1NT(12-14) 24 3V 34 pass 44 pass pass pass West led *3 against 44 and East won 41110•J and switched to V4. Declarer, Emma, tried VK but West won VA, cashed VQ, and led VJ, Emma trumping. She drew the trumps in three rounds and had to negotiate 4s. Let us apply the Even Break Test: there are six missing clubs which should, for the pur- poses of the Test, be assumed to split as evenly as possible — three-three; the queen does not rate to 'drop' so a finesse should be taken.

But Emma did not take the finesse (run- ning 4J), rather she banged down 4AK. East's 40 'dropped' on the second round, so Emma claimed her contract. Can you see why she spurned the Even Break Test result?

Emma was counting the missing points. She worked out that East-West held a total of 19 missing points, yet West had already turned up with seven points in hearts. East had to have all the remaining points to jus- tify the opening bid of 1NT. Emma's only hope was that East's 40 was doubleton and would thus fall under +AK.