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Trump Signals Can Save The Day…

….. or even help beat a contract. What are they? Normally, we follow quite meaninglessly with our two or three small trumps. We can give the order we play them a meaning.

We focus on the other two suits, that is not trumps nor the suit led at trick 1. We assume that declarer starts leading trumps once they win the lead. If you play your higher and then a lower trump, you are showing some interest, usually an honour in the higher of the two unplayed suits. A low trump and then a higher one infers some interest in the lower unplayed suit.

What if you have no interest in either suit? If you have only two trumps, then you have a problem. Perhaps show interest in a suit you cannot possibly have an interest. It is likely your partner will know that your hand has almost nothing. If you have three small trumps, then you could play your middle trump, a lower one and then the highest. “Message received, partner?”

Of course, your partner must be watching! Also, never jeopardise a possible trump trick by playing in this way…and do not read too much into partner’s signal if their first trump turns out to be a singleton! Remember, the signal is not a command but a suggestion, perhaps indicating a hold in the suit.

However, on the following hand, a trump signal was vital:

Both East’s second pass and South’s 2 bid were rather strange though both were right on the actual hand. 1NTx was going to make quite comfortably despite North- South having the majority of high card points.

West did not expect much help from their partner in the defence and led A and a second heart. Declarer won to lead a trump which West won with their king. How to get to partner’s hand for a third round of hearts to be played? Maybe East held Q? However, on the first round of trumps, East played 10. That was possibly from Q10 doubleton though it might also, and indeed was, a trump signal.

“It might be an idea, partner, to switch to a diamond, the higher of the unplayed suits.” Diamond switch, second round of trumps, won with the ace, then a second round of diamonds ruffed, the sought-after heart ruff and finally the A to take the contract one down.

Without the trump signal, West may have switched to a low club or even played their partner for Q. They might have been inspired to switch to a diamond though the trump signal pointed West in the right direction.

Sometimes such a signal (which should always be made in tempo..think ahead!) is meaningless or even plainly awkward (“my highest card in those 2 suits was the 7, partner!) but on other occasions, it is extremely handy.

Richard Solomon

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