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No Time for a Peek.

Yesterday’s introductory title did not have the word “no” included. A subtle change. Today’s article is for our newer players and also for those who want to beat the opposition’s contract. So, I think that applies to pretty much all bridge players. I hope so.

A Weak Jump Overcall, one of which you are not ashamed. Yet, the opposition bid on to game. And your lead is?

The problem here is that your partner supported hearts. That’s nice to know especially if you chose to bid on over the opposition’s leap to game. Perhaps 5 will be a good sacrifice or might even push the opposition too high or might even be making. However, you have not bid on and therefore the best you could hope for is two tricks from the heart suit. Most days, you will score just one and on a bad day, your high heart start will get ruffed. Only playing Pairs and trying to restrict overtricks does it seem right to start with a high heart.

Either minor lead might be right though this is no particular reason to lead a trump. So, don’t! If it is right to lead a diamond, it would almost seem that you need your partner to hold two of the three missing high honours, and even then, unless they were AK, your partner would need to regain the lead in one of the black suits to cash, your hope, three red suit tricks. There will be days when a diamond is a brilliant opening shot.

However, the singleton club seems more straightforward. A great idea when your partner has the A or even the A and otherwise pretty unsuccessful. Today was one the good days when partner did play A and returned the J to give you a ruff. Yet, your good work is not yet done. You have not yet beaten the contract. Did you notice which club your partner returned, J? Surely, they had a choice of clubs to return?. When they won with A, you know they do not hold K (they would have played it). Therefore, the return of a high card in giving you your ruff suggests you play next the higher of the other two suits.

Had your partner held A, they would have certainly returned a lower club. So, you ruff and play a heart. Which one? Dummy has 75.

Do you still want to beat the contract? Then stop fingering those two high hearts.

Had your partner held no diamond card and not the Q either, they should have returned a middleish club if they could, one to suggest you do whatever you thought was best. You would then play a high heart. East did not know that West held both the AK though there was a fair chance you did.

So, reward them by leading a low heart. If you are a really caring partner, East could play Q (even though J is technically correct), not even giving West even a moment’s doubt that they had done badly in underleading. Therefore, a second ruff and a disappointed declarer soon laid claim to the rest of the tricks.

 

Well, that was the way it should have gone. The contract made because West started with two high hearts were led at tricks 1 and 2. Rather flamboyantly, South ruffed with the A (“to be sure, partner”!), drew trumps and made their contract by eventually taking a second- round club finesse…five trumps, three clubs and two top diamonds. Yet, the contract was unbeatable once a high heart had been led at trick 1. There was no time for a peek.

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