Pin

To lead a card which smothers one defenders card and gains a trick:

a) By enabling a finesse

                    J642

      T8                     Q53

                    AK97

In this position South leads the Ace.  Noting the fall of the 8 from West, the North hand is entered in another suit and the Jack is led, Pinning West's 10, and enabling a finesse of East's Queen.

b) By removing a loser

                    543

  A87                             Q

                 KJT962

South with no entries to the North hand, must play this combination.  As a singleton Ace or any 2-2 break will produce 2 losers no matter how the suit is played, South leads the King, pinning the Queen, as the only hope of losing just 1 trick.

Compiled by Lorne Russell 2005