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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

A Rightful Reason?

A little look at defending a part-score, today and, in particular, in what you would lead at trick 1. Just a simple no -trump opening and a transfer. No help from your partner. No stand-out obvious lead. So, anything could be right though would you select one card over others, not just, say, because it was the nearest to your thumb!

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North Deals
E-W Vul
   
J 8 4
Q 6 2
A 8
K J 8 4 3
 
N
W   E
S
   
West North East South
  Pass Pass 1 NT
Pass 2  Pass 2 
Pass Pass Pass  

 

1NT is in the 12-14 hcp range. 2Diamond-smallis, of course, a transfer promising at least 5 hearts.

Find a lead and also the reason you have made that lead. Five imps perhaps if you find it but a bonus (we can negotiate what later) if you say why you have made that lead.

While any suit could be a winner on the day, a trump seems to have the least appeal. Other than possibly to cut down declarer’s ability to ruff something in their own hand, or as a passive lead, it has little merit.

Leading away from Jxx does not feel wonderful either. Had partner four spades, they might even have made a take-out double. No double suggests they are less likely to hold four spades. Also, even if they do, it is still quite likely to open up a suit to declarer’s advantage. No spade lead.

So, we are down to the minors. We can choose all-out attack with a club or step into the unknown with the Diamond-smallA. The choice would be and was that ace. Why? Because the West trump holding suggested that the queen was unlikely to score a trick if West just sat and waited. Unless the Heart-smallAK were with declarer, West would lose the queen to a finesse.

West hoped for their partner to have the Diamond-smallK (no joy) though their trump holding made up for this “oversight” on their part! As you will see, without the diamond lead, the Heart-smallQ would have been swallowed up, though not to a finesse.

North Deals
E-W Vul
9 6 5
A 9 8 5 3
Q 4 3
A 9
J 8 4
Q 6 2
A 8
K J 8 4 3
 
N
W   E
S
 
Q 10 3
K J 4
J 10 9 7
10 7 2
 
A K 7 2
10 7
K 6 5 2
Q 6 5
West North East South
  Pass Pass 1 NT
Pass 2  Pass 2 
Pass Pass Pass  

 

2Heart-small was certainly makeable though wherever declarer won the second round of diamonds, their other diamond honour would not win a trick when East won the first or second rounds of hearts, depending on whether played an initial Heart-smallA, and continued diamonds.

At the table, South ducked a heart to East who gave West a diamond ruff. West exited with a spade which declarer won to play a second round of trumps. Declarer would have succeeded had they won and ducked a spade but they let East have their second trump trick with a club switch from East giving the defence one trick in each black suit to go with a diamond and three trump tricks. South could also have played for East to hold Club-smallK which is a better percentage than a 3-3 spade break, and failed.

This time, the club lead would have given South an easier run either playing for spades 3-3 or a doubleton Diamond-smallA, both working. Both major leads, yes even a trump, were passive though setting up the 13th spade would have helped declarer.

The best lead for the defence was the Diamond-smallA giving them three trump tricks and preventing declarer from taking two diamond tricks. West did not know that though their valid reason for leading Diamond-smallA put the defence on the way to gaining 5 useful imps to go with 1NT by South making an overtrick at the other table.

20+ high card points usually excites most players. Thus, it is a little frustrating when the opposition intervene or get in first.

     
West Deals
E-W Vul
 
N
W   E
S
   
 
A J 5
A J 9 6
A Q 5 2
A K
West North East South
2  Pass Pass ?

 

2Heart-small showed 5+ hearts and 5+ of a black suit, less than an opener. You are playing Teams. What should you bid?

Richard Solomon

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