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“Twice in one night”

Can lightning strike twice in one night? With our weather at present, the answer must certainly be “yes”. Yet, we are talking about more pleasant matters like “opening leads”. You can get roundly criticized for a bad choice..or for one that turns out badly. So, with such thoughts in mind, here are two for you…and we will keep the position of the leader as at the table. First of all, you are West.

KJ82

QT

KJ2

Q632

West                     North                    East                        South

                                                                                                1

Pass                       2                          Pass                       2NT

Pass                       3NT                        All Pass

South has shown a weak no-trump with a 5 card spade suit. Any ideas for the opening lead?

or perhaps as North, you would like to select from the following:

K85

T875

AT862

J

West                     North                       East                        South

                                                                1NT ¹                     Pass

2²                        Pass                         2NT ³                            Pass

3⁴                               Pass                         3NT                        Pass

4⁵                        Pass                       4⁵                                     Pass

6                          All Pass

¹      15-17

²    transfer to clubs

³  “I like clubs”

⁴ showing honour cards

⁵  cue-bid

What is common about the two lead problems? Firstly, your partner has not helped you at all in the bidding and secondly, they are likely to have pretty little in high card strength. So, with that in mind, what are your choices? Oh, it really seems insignificant but in the first case, no-one is vulnerable while in the second, everyone is!

Your first lead

Normally, when on lead, you can eliminate one or two suits immediately and maybe only have a choice between the other two. However, what do you do when you eliminate all four suits? The best answer is hope partner has led out of turn! No such luck on the first problem. Your long suits have been bid by the opposition and you have particularly unattractive choices in your other two suits. Come on, they are still waiting. I chose Q. Well, if either opponent held hearts, it would be dummy.

I held my breath and at the end of trick one was still on lead not feeling that much better about proceedings. So, I continued hearts.

 

Declarer won the 10 with the ace and tried A and then 9. Rightly or wrongly, I inserted the jack. Declarer seemed to have to options to make 9 tricks. One had been to lead the J from hand, probably anti-percentage, but enabling South to score four tricks in that suit, whether West covers or not. Otherwise, once the Q scores, exit a low diamond to set up three tricks in that suit and even if West switches to a spade, South can score three tricks in each minor to scrape nine.

Fortunately for the defence, perhaps hoping for better news in the heart suit, declarer played a low club off dummy to the jack and queen. Now, a desperate spade switch ensured five defensive tricks. The link with the second problem will soon become clear.

Your second choice?

Would I or wouldn’t I? Four North players found themselves on lead to 6 and for three of them, it was game, set and contract made when they led A. I have a sneaking admiration for the 8 which would at least have left the declarer still wondering who held the king. Denis Humphries had a much shorter time to discover how successful his lead was as he led the 2. (Please, any new players to this game, who have been told never, ever, ever, ever lead low from an ace against a suit contract, please switch off…now! Just do not try this. It just never works!)

 

Well, what was poor West to do? It was “heroes and villains”. Could Denis be trusted?

I am sure there are far more imps to be gained from playing low at trick one than rising with the king. Alas for Paul Hangartner, they would not come his way this time. Great timing for that lead. Apparently, Paul and brother Mark have agreed to play transfers in future when heading to such a slam to ensure the no-trump hand became declarer.

So, what’s the connection? Something like perfect cards in partner’s meagre hand. J865 in the first example (maybe not perfect but certainly looking after partner’s lead) (oh and the Q of course…and that Q in the second case…and no jack!) Not bad for two 3 counts. See. Sometimes, your partner is on your side!

Richard Solomon

 

 

 

 

 

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