All News

It's Fri  Day... for Junior, Intermediate and Novice players....and others!

A Valuable Asset?

We are on lead again, in the spotlight but are not leading blind or in hope. There’s been a bit of bidding from our partner… and that should help. So, what should we lead?

 

2NT showed about 10 to 12 hcp with a hold in hearts. What would you lead?

Well, our West went wrong. Rather than tell you what was led, let’s look at what would have happened had West made the recommended lead of 2. These were the four hands:

 

“That’s a great heart suit you held” West observed at the end of the play. “Well, it got you off to the right lead, or should have” came the reply!

Declarer would win trick 1 in dummy and play a low club. South would think they could make three tricks in each minor (maybe four in diamonds), three hearts (well, East had to have Q: they opened 1 after all!) and A…10 tricks! East would win with K. Back would come a low heart. Confidently, South would play J but would be far from impressed when West played Q and then returned a third round of hearts to South’s A. Declarer could not get to 9 tricks without making at least 2 club tricks. So, a second round of clubs would be played to East’s A…and East would now play three winning heart tricks to beat the contract by two tricks. “A great lead directional opening bid” West was heard to remark!

Now, South could have made their contract with the rather unlikely play of playing K on the second round of the suit. When East next wins the second round of clubs, Q in the West hand stops East from cashing their winners. In reality, East’s opening bid makes that play really hard for South to find.

Yet, I said that is what would have happened. While the order of cards played (at least until K won the second round of clubs) was as above, there was to be no joy for the defence because at trick 1, West had led Q.

Yes, the heart lay-out was not really what West expected but when you have more than two cards in the suit your partner bid, it is much better to lead a low card and not the honour, even in a suit contract and certainly in no-trumps. After  all, the declarer has announced a hold in the suit. It is unlikely to cost by leading a low card at trick 1 but as you can see above, once the Q had appeared at trick 1, it was easy enough for South to make 9 tricks.

Possibly, South might have played correctly, guessing West had Q though as West should have led the same way had they held 1032 (some would lead low from any three card holding in the West hand as West had not supported hearts in the bidding), it is probable that South would have misguessed. The moral is that you lead low at trick 1. There might be occasions where you will need to play Q under say your partner’s ace or king on the second round. Hold on to your valuable asset at trick one.

There was no chance of East-West beating 3NT after Q lead. They had every chance of doing so after 2 lead.

(After Q lead and then a club, the best East can do is switch to low spade. The AT87 in dummy would provide a double hold for declarer. Also, the defence cannot take enough tricks were West to lead a spade at trick 1 as long as South ducks the first two rounds of that suit.)

Richard Solomon

Go Back View All News Items