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To beat a game: to make a game!

While the defence to today’s deal, coming from the recent South Island Teams, is not entirely straightforward, I was surprised that the popular 4S contract was made at most tables. Firstly, therefore, you are on opening lead with the following:

 

2 showed both majors, Michael’s style, at least 5 cards in each suit. 3 was natural. What would you lead?

At a few tables, East was declarer and then it is harder for South to find a lead that either would defeat the contract or would give the defence a chance of success. However, the majority of tables played 4 from the West seat either after a 1 or weak 1NT opening from North. At some tables, East had only shown one suit, spades, but most North players knew that East held the majors.

Frankly, I cannot see the difference whether they knew or not about East’s second suit. There seems absolutely no reason to take a stab at which ace will be right…and we would certainly not underlead any of them. The bidding given above….and indeed North’s own hand indicated that a trump lead would be best. Many led A where their partner had supported clubs and there endeth the defence.

There is also a small lesson too for the West declarers though their good play, after a trump lead, still might not have worked. To see what West should have done after a trump lead, let’s see all four hands:

 

At some tables, West continued with a second and third round of trumps…and this gave South a chance to signal where their highest honour was. When a heart was next led, there was no point in North ducking. So, they could win their ace and if they wanted to have any chance of defeating this game, they had to underlead A. A signal from South makes that underlead easier but the fourth defensive trick just had to come from diamonds and if so, then the best chance of two tricks in the suit would be if South led the first round of diamonds.

As you can see, it should make no difference to the defence but it is easier for North having seen the signal. West should still play a heart at trick 2. Only three West players did…and all succeeded in making their game as did the vast majority of East-West players.

From the South seat, the lead has to be a singleton trump (not normally a recommended lead) or a diamond, a great example of leading 4^th highest as North can work out that East does not hold Q. They should insert J any way whichever diamond South chooses. A heart lead will also beat the game if North can find the club underlead at trick 2. Unfortunately for the defence, the usual lead from South was a club.

With North on lead, a trump lead should defeat this game with the sight of East’s minor cards. If South did not hold K, then North has just given away overtricks by underleading their ace. Therefore, West’s play at trick 2 should not matter. It did not matter as most declarers made this game. Congratulations then to Di and Hugh McAlister and Tina McVeigh and Margaret Burgess who signalled their way to successful defence.

Richard Solomon

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