Print Friendly and PDF


An obligatory finesse occurs when declarer is "obliged" to duck an honor. For example:

Dummy
K765
WestEast
??? ???
South
SQ432


Needing 3 tricks in the suit, you lead toward the king, which holds the trick. You continue with a low card from dummy, East playing low. At this point, you have an obligatory finesse. Play low from hand and hope that West started life with the doubleton ace.

A similar example needing 4 tricks:

Dummy
Q32
WestEast
??? ???
South
SK7654


You lead low to the queen, which wins. A spade back to hand should be ducked in case West began with the doubleton ace.

One last example. This following deal comes from Ely Culbertson's "Contract Bridge Complete." South plays in 6H.

North
J964
AKQ
WestA86East
SQ8753QT8T2
H65432
D2SouthKQJT75
CJ76532SAK9
HJT987
D943
CAK4

"West opens the deuce of diamonds (obviously a singleton), dummy winning with the Ace. The Ace and King of hearts are led and when West shows out, East is marked with ten red and (consequently) three black cards. Trumps must be drawn, so the heart Queen is cashed and declarer enters his hand with the Ace of spades to lead the Jack of hearts, dummy discarding a low diamond. The two black Kings are led and when East follows to both, the location of every card is marked. The low club is led and the ten is finessed. The Jack of spades is returned, South discarding the Ace of clubs. West wins with the Queen and must yield entry to dummy with a spade or club, affording discards for South's losing diamonds."

See also

  • Backward Finesse
    A finesse that's taken in the "opposite" direction of a regular finesse.

  • Chinese Finesse
    The lead of an unsupported honor as a pretense to a legitimate finesse.

  • Double Finesse
    A finesse against two opposing honor cards.

  • "Eight Ever, Nine Never"
    A rule for finessing with 8 or 9 cards missing the queen.

  • Intra-Finesse
    A type of finesse against three opposing honor cards.

  • Marked Finesse
    A finesse made obvious by the auction or play of the hand.

  • Ruffing Finesse
    A finesse for an enemy card (usually an honor) by threat of a ruff.

  • Simple Finesse
    A finesse for a card (usually an honor) held by the opponents.

  • Triple Finesse
    A finesse against three opposing honor cards.

  • Two-Way Finesse
    A card combination in which either defender can be finessed for a queen.