The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-16
FOR LOVERS OF WHIST
Diedrich Continues the Discus
sion of the FineSSe.
CLAY'S REMARKS UPON THE PLAY.

Can BE Mado With Low as Well as High
Charlottesville With Any Cards Not In
sequence-When and Where to Finesse.
Illustrative Cases,
1t will be we'll to give up tho whist COL
umn this time to u quotation upon tho
subject of tho fnesse from Clay, the old
timo master of subtle play, ranking in this
next to Dcschappeles, whose pupil he
might be said to be. In fact, tho whist
world of today may BIO said to be returning
to the method of play pursued by these
adopts:
with nee, knave, 10 and ono or two
others In trumps l cannot think it wrong,
unless there is obvious reason for making
sure of two rounds IN tho suit, to flnesse
the 10. 1t Is n finesse against two cards,
tho king and the queen, but unless both
these cards arc with your left hand adyer-
sary you have preserved to yourself the
tenacc.
. have spoken of the flnesse In the high
cards, but 1t must DO remembered that
when these cards have been played the
flnesso of tho lowest, say, of tho 5. with
tho and tho against the 6, is as valu-
able as that of tho queen from ace, quoen
against the king.
I'm order to flncsso 1t is not necessary
that you should hold tho best and third or
fourth best, otc., of q suit. Finesse is DOS
sible and may bo forced on you with al
most any combination of cards, sequences
excepted, say with king, knave against
queen, tho acc being In, or with queen, 10
against tho knave, the ACC and king being
both III, or with combinations of less i'm
portanco.
Il would offer the following opinions,
not, L fancy, worry generally entertained,
Tor tho consideration of experienced play
ers. With ordinary hands flnesso may be
deep at their commencement and should
contract as they go on until in tho last four
or 1.-Two cards there Is scarcely any opportu-
nifty left for fincsse, properly so called.
When weak in trumps say cvcn with
no trumps mt all, flnessc deeply in the suit
In which you believe your partner to be
weak IN order, rs long as you can, to pro-
tect him from force.
Again say that you have lod from
King and small cards and that YOUR
partner, having taken with queen, returns
to you tho s. You know no has returned
to you tho best card he holds in tho suit
and that you have to contend not only
against the ace which you know to DO be-
hind you, but against the king and 10,
neither of which cards can DO with your
partner. The position is difficult. but
there Is no help for it. You must pass
your partners s. 1t is flncsse against
two cards, but ono or possibly both of them
may DO with your right hand adversary, in
each of which cases you will havo played
to advantage, and oven in tho worst case.
that you find both king and 10 along with
the ACC behind you, you have yet retained
your King guarded and have not given I'D
the entire command of tho suit
This leads To the consideration of M
other numerous class of cases, which, al
though not dissimilar, cannot strictly be
called iincsse. Take the Same cards as given
IN tho last example. Your partner equally
taxes with tho queen and returns the s,
but your right hand adversary renounces
tho suit You now know that tho ace. 10
and king arc all three behind you and 1t
Is true that there is no flnesse against a
hand which has none of tho suit PLAYED.
Still You would do very wrong to play
your king. You must pass your partners
and you still hold your king guarded.
which prevents your loft hand adversary
from going on with the suit without either
giving up his command or forcing his
partner. Your king, thus guarded, may
still be OF great value to you, as your part
ncr will certainly not continue the suit
and your right hand adversary cannot To
have played your king would have given
the entire command of the suit to your left
hand adversary, than which no position
could be worse Cases similar to this ara
of frequent occurrence and should DO
treated on this principle DIEDRIcH.
Hnickcrbockcr Whist Club, Now York.