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A TIME FOR CHANGE.

The Way THEY Play.

So often when you win the lead part way through a no-trump contract, the simple approach of returning the suit partner led at trick 1 is the right thing to do. They led that suit for a purpose and so often, that purpose is to take tricks in the suit…the good old “fourth highest” leads. One art of good defence is knowing when you should look elsewhere for your tricks…..

 

 

Your partner leads 6 (playing 4^th best leads) with trick 1 going to J, your ace and declarer’s 3. You return 10 to declarer’s 7, partner’s 2 and dummy’s K.

Declarer plays A 238 and then J K47 (you play reverse count, if that helps...partner played 87) What next?

What did happen next was that East did continue with a third round of hearts with the hope of two more heart tricks, who knows, maybe even three…but East’s hopes were soon dashed!

 

Three further club tricks, along with three in diamonds and two more in hearts gave a rather relieved South an overtrick, two more than to which they were entitled. How did East know? There were some clues:

Partner’s carding   Fourth highest leads can at times be very helpful. Right at trick 1, East knew that, had West led fourth highest, there was just one card in South’s hand higher than the 6. (Rule of 11 says 11- 6= 5 cards in the other three hands apart from the opening leader.) Thus, East returned 10 at trick 2, the correct card to return. On that South played 7 and West 2. Certainly, West could have led 6 from a 5 card, even a 6-card suit, of which 6 was fourth highest. Yet, there was another option.

Declarer’s line Sometimes, you have to put yourself in declarer’s shoes. You hold KJ opposite  73 or 743. You make the correct heart guess at trick one but see your hold in that suit knocked out at trick 2. Would you then immediately play A and a second club? Remember that South accepted their partner’s game invitation. They have 8 or 9, maybe 10 high card points somewhere. Your partner indicated holding three clubs (high-low, reverse count). It would seem very strange that South is missing Q as well. Unless they held AK doubleton, you could barely find enough hcp for South to hold, without either Q and Q. If South did have Q, why did they expose themselves so early to the possibility, indeed probability (they saw West’s carding too) of five quick losers?

The bidding. As well as having 8 -10 hcp, the bidding told the defence that South did not have three spades. Even if North-South were not playing five-card majors, with three spades, South should offer 3 on the way to 3NT (knowing South had 5 clubs, they would then have a red-suit doubleton.) South could not know their partner’s spades were headed by the 9.

Holding the A and no further heart hold, and presumably Q to come to 8 hcp, declarer would cross to the Q and take the club finesse as their only chance of making their contract. They did not do that. 

The evidence was mounting that South did not have the A and that maybe West did not have the heart suit East anticipated. There was growing evidence that a spade switch would not hurt the defence..and was of course the only way to defeat the contract.

Leading second highest from four small cards is a standard lead. However, in no-trumps, leading the top of four small could, as here, have helped East as to the true lay of the heart suit. (though had East’s hearts been AT9, the lead of the 8 would have given away a trick.) Immediately, East would have known that hearts was not a suit to pursue, at least at the critical point of the hand when in with the K.

How’s you’re “attitude?”

Another approach is attitude style leads in no-trumps. When West leads 6 followed by 2, they are indicating a poor suit. Had they wanted East to continue hearts, they would follow with a higher heart than 6 at trick 2.

Another deal…and?

What would you make of this?

 

South opens a 12-14 1NT. Within a flash, you are leading 10 against 3NT. Declarer plays J from dummy. Your partner wins A and returns 2 to declarer’s Q. The next card to be played is Q. Are you there? Do you win and if so, then what?

Again, you need to put yourself in declarer’s shoes. They have a maximum 14 hcp, a partner who has overbid and they choose to ignore dummy’s only asset, a decent club suit. Why? The most logical answer is that they have that suit sewn up already. That’s 5 club tricks and 2 in spades. What’s this diamond play about? It is time to take your ace, count high card points and do something positive. Q, KQ surely, KQ. Are you there with your low heart? Hope so…

 

Two down…that’s a bonus but you could just about guarantee that your partner held K. If declarer had QJ x, you are at least saving overtricks. However, as you can see, you were doing far more than that.

Time to change?

Stay alert…and be prepared to switch.

Time to Change …topic!

 

2 is what you think it is, a game-force hand. Three questions for you….

What could/should your next bid be and what two things are unusual about your use of that bid?

See you Tuesday…

Richard Solomon

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