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No Regrets.

West had plenty of regrets at their choice of opening lead at the end of play on today’s deal. So, let’s look at the choice West had to make on this deal and see if you would have led what was chosen at the table and whether it would have made a difference:

 

1 promised at least 2 clubs. After your overcall (well, you want to do something with your hand!), North showed 4+ hearts with 1. 2NT was 18-19 balanced and 3 a major enquiry. 3 said 4 spades but only 2 hearts.

So, plenty of information there. What then is your choice?

West chose to lead their long suit (J) on the basis it was the least likely lead to give away a trick, often a very wise tactic. Later in the play, it transpired that East held the K and West felt they would have beaten the contract had they started with Q.

Let’s see if they were correct.

 

South is hardly bristling with tricks on either a spade or a diamond lead. The 1 overcall told declarer that that suit was not breaking well and therefore, there would only be three tricks there. They have one in spades and at most four in clubs. There is no obvious 9^th trick, at least not before the defence take 5. 

So, declarer must do what is so often the best action in a no-trump game. Play their long suit and see what happens….and that applies whether a diamond or potentially more dangerous spade has been led.

That “long” suit is clubs, not really that long…but you never know. While either opponent might hold specifically J98, the best way to score 4 tricks would be to take an immediate club finesse, small to 10. So, let’s say Q was led, ducked with East encouraging, to be followed by a second spade to the king, also ducked, and then a third round of spades. A club to the 10 is followed by Q and then a diamond to the ace. How are you feeling as West?

You are fine but maybe getting a little nervous. West discards a diamond on the A and another heart disappears from dummy.

However, the K squeezes West. They cannot throw a second diamond. Discarding J gives South an immediate 9^th trick while if they throw K, all the defence will take is 3 spade tricks and the A.

Remember that that was after a spade lead. The play is just the same after an initial J lead although the immediate threat of losing 3 spades and 2 heart tricks is not there. 

So, cold on any lead. West may have given declarer more worries after a spade lead but there really was only one way to play for 9 tricks whichever suit West chose.

This contract made 8 times, usually with overtricks, and failed 5 times. A diamond was led 8 times, with 6 declarers succeeding. A spade was led 4 times and the contract only made once. It really did not matter which suit was led. West need have no regrets. 

Richard Solomon

 

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