Bridge For Dummies
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Sometimes, the honor cards that you hold in a hand of bridge dictate that you lead from weakness toward strength twice, such as when you have both the king and queen in a suit. The only thing better than taking one finesse in a suit is taking two finesses in the same suit. Just remember to lead from weakness toward strength, and watch yourself slide right by your opponents’ honor cards.

This particular situation that has a romantic pairing: the king and the queen. The cards in this image show you a hand where you can pull off this stunt. The king and the queen in the dummy have double the finessing power.

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In this image, you have an item going on in the dummy between the ♠K and the ♠Q. Bridge nuts try to clean everything up, so some call this coupling a marriage, which is actually a pinochle term.

Forgetting the social aspects of the suit, you need to take as many spade tricks as you can. Start by leading a low spade, the ♠3, from your hand, from weakness to strength. West can make your life easy or hard:

  • West can simplify your life by playing the ♠A right away, a friendly play that immediately makes both the ♠K and the ♠Q in the dummy winning tricks for later use.

  • West may think better of such a gift and play the ♠2, allowing you to take the trick with the ♠Q.

You took a trick with the ♠Q by leading toward it, and you must repeat the process if you want to take a trick with the ♠K. Return to your hand (South) in another suit and lead another low spade, the ♠7. Depending on how West plays, you get a trick now or later:

  • If West takes the track with his ♠A, your ♠K becomes a later trick.

  • If West plays low again, ♠4, you take the trick with the ♠K.

You prevail because West, second to play, has the missing honor. You wouldn’t be so lucky if East had the SA.

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