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Tried and True Sayings

“When all they have is trumps…….

Playing Teams, the 5 level can be a risky place. In a recent Teams match, one North-South pair decided to shoot it out at the 5 level while the other made a good bidding choice but then fell from grace in the play.

What then is your choice of opening lead as North with the following sequence?

West          North         East            South

1               Pass            Pass            x

3               3              4             4

5               Pass            Pass            x

All Pass

You hold:

 JT43

 AJ932

 652

 5

It’s OK, this time, as you could survive leading the A but with the opening bid on your right, there was every chance the K was there. Maybe choose something else instead.

On the actual deal, you could still survive the heart lead and continuation though getting the maximum may not now be possible. It would though be possible to go wrong. Take a look:

 

 

If North led and continued hearts, (South might only have held 4 hearts), then West will lead one of their diamonds. It is important that North gives correct count in diamonds with South having to judge that it is correct for them to duck if West plays low from dummy but to win the first round if declarer overtakes with the king. If West overtakes and wins the trick, they will take the spade finesse, cash the ace and ruff one losing spade in dummy…3 down -500.

Indeed after two rounds of hearts and then Q ducked and second diamond won by the ace, the defence are in trouble as South can no longer play three rounds of trumps as declarer will unblock to finish in dummy. Two down may well be the maximum after this start.

The defence can, though, make West pay for their aggressive bidding though not with the heart lead. Try an initial trump lead. Now, only because the K can be finessed (or is tripleton), declarer can get out for as little as 4 down, -800 (2 trump and 2 spade losers and one in each red suit.)

At the table, North tried the J initial lead, not in itself a disaster but after Q, A and a spade ruff, West led a low diamond from dummy and South guessed to duck. The damage was now -300.

Maybe North did not expect West to be quite so weak..but at favourable vulnerability and a passed partner, “anything goes” (that 3 bid).  So, let’s complete the saying: “When all they have is trumps…lead one”.

+300, +500 or +800 were all lost on North-South at the other table. They had to score +650 in 5 to survive and even though East led a club, it was obvious to West to switch to a diamond when in with the Q on the first round of the suit….and that contract was one down.

Bridge is full of sayings. There are times to break them but many times to observe them. You may have heard the above one about leading trumps and also that “the 5 level belongs to the opposition”…especially at Teams. Any doubled plus score would have been better than the minus one North-South achieved.

Richard Solomon

 

 

 

 

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