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Play and Defend Better: for improving players
Clear Signal: Less Stress.
We learn at an early stage of our Bridge development that we can tell our partner whether we like their lead or indeed which suit we would like them to play when they get on lead. There are various methods of doing so.
As we become more experienced, we learn we can ask partner to switch to a certain suit when, in a suit contract, a singleton appears on the dummy. While it is not an absolute demand, there is a strong suggestion that if you follow suit with a low card, you want a switch to the lower and if you follow with a high card, to the higher of the non- trump suits.
There are other occasions where a signal from your partner can save all the stress of trying to beat a contract. The following board is a good example.
| West Deals Both Vul |
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| West | North | East | South |
| you | dummy | ||
| 1 ♥ | Dbl | 2 ♥ | 4 ♦ |
| Pass | 5 ♦ | All pass |
(1
promises at least 5 hearts)
You lead the A and partner follows with 5 and declarer 6 (declarers have been known to false-card in order to hide the true position). Which card do you play to trick 2?
It is really significant. There are two suits to play which will allow declarer to make their contract, one which a little fortunately beats the game and the other which beats the game comfortably, with no worries. Your choice!
The problem is that the best card to play is not the most obvious, indeed is the least obvious, unless your partner guides you to do so. Are you ready for all four hands?
| West Deals Both Vul |
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| West | North | East | South |
| 1 ♥ | Dbl | 2 ♥ | 4 ♦ |
| Pass | 5 ♦ | All pass |
You might consider it silly to switch to a club and indeed, such a switch would be disastrous giving declarer a free finesse, allowing them to discard two spades to make their contract.
A heart continuation looks safe and is safe, just, only because you, West, have three small trumps. Look what happens on the apparently “safe” trump switch. Declarer wins with 
J, discards one spade on the 
A, ruffs a club, returns to dummy with a second trump and ruffs another club. Down comes your K. Your last trump is drawn and the K provides an entry to play Q for a second spade discard. Contract made.
Help your partner
While East might blame West for their trump switch, the blame lies solely on East’s shoulders. East can tell their partner what they should play at trick 2. East should play Q, not a smaller heart, no matter whether you give count or attitude on the lead of the ace. That queen is an unusually high card to play (from the bidding, East is known to have at least three hearts) and strongly suggests a switch to the higher of the non-trump suits, spades.
How else would West know/risk playing 
K? As it happens, West will soon get a spade ruff to beat the contract by two tricks. A spade switch is the only way to beat 4.
There are often situations when you can afford to indicate to partner with a high or low card as to what to do next. On the above deal, Q suggests a spade switch, 2 a club switch and 5 no preference for a switch (maybe carry on with hearts or play a trump.)
If East-West were only playing 4 card major openings, playing the Q might be risky but above, South is marked with at most two hearts, and the clear signal cannot cost… and as you have seen, could be a big winner.
Clear Signal: Less Stress
Richard Solomon
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