Not a lot happening at the Bridge Club right now with the last of the spring tournaments being completed last week, so I’ll use the column to give you some suit combination tips until there is some news to report.

First, my favourite: AQxx opposite xxxx. First understand that the best you can do here is hold this to one loser if the King is onside and trumps are 3-2, so what you are aiming at is to avoid losing more than one trick.

The best play (and I know you won’t do it!) is to cash the Ace first, return to hand and then lead up to the Queen. If LHO opponent plays smoothly low you might decide to play low from dummy, playing RHO to have started with Kx.

Of course cashing the Ace wins big time if the King is singleton on your right, as you will lose only two tricks when all the first round finessers will lose three! The play would be the same with AQxxx opposite xxx.

Now to the hand (Figure 1), which is another anti-finesse exhibit!

South opened one heart and, after West overcalled one spade, North’s three hearts was in the modern style, pre-emptive with four trumps. South had the values to bid the game and did so. West led the Queen of spades.

The finessers love this hand as there is not just one, but two red suit finesses to be taken! As the cards lie, however, the way to go down on this hand is to win the Ace of spades and run the Queen of trumps.

In that case, the contract will fail because East will win the trick with the King of trumps and return a trump, after which declarer cannot score the spade ruffs that he needs and will lose a spade, a trump, and one trick in each minor – down one!

This play was made at most tables and the contract was defeated – at one table, however, before playing to the second trick, declarer paused to make a plan.

Declarer saw that he had to ruff spades in dummy to have any chance of making the contract. So, he ruffed a spade at trick two then returned to hand with the Ace of clubs to ruff another spade with the seven of trumps (in case East had only two spades without the eight of trumps).

When both defenders followed, declarer played a diamond to the Ace (correctly rejecting the finesse) and now ruffed his last spade with dummy's Ace of trumps, to avoid the risk of an overruff. With six tricks made, declarer led dummy's four of trumps. Declarer scored four trumps, three side-suit Aces and three spade ruffs in the dummy- contract made!

The lesson here is that drawing trumps immediately is often a good idea, but making a plan before you embark on the play is better!

• David Ezekiel can be reached on davidezekiel999@gmail.com

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, April 11

1 Diana Diel/Stephanie Kyme

2 Joyce Pearson/Heather Woolf

3 Tony Saunders/Margaret Way

Monday, April 14

1 Jack Rhind/Stephanie Kyme

2 Rachael Gosling/Margaret Way

3 Louise Rodger/Molly Taussig

Tuesday, April 15

1 Jamie Ferrari-McComb/Edward Ferrari Willis

2 Amanda Ingham/Heidi Dyson

3 Sally Irvine/Sandra Ogden

Wednesday, April 16

1 Martha Ferguson/Judy King

2 Louise Rodger/Margaret Way

3 Lynanne Bolton/Heather Woolf

Thursday, April 17

1 Elizabeth McKee/Margaret Way

2 Peter Donnellan/Lynanne Bolton

3 Martha Ferguson/Judy King