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A Subtle Difference.

“Fourth highest of your longest and strongest.” That’s quite a good approach to making the opening lead especially against a no-trump contract. It even works, some of the time! Yet, what message does the lead of such a card convey? It would usually say that you have either potentially very good length in that suit (that is more than four cards) and or that you have an honour in that suit. Yet, what constitutes an honour?

The answer to that second question will determine the success or failure of the following contract.

 

1promised 4+ clubs. The 1NT rebid showed 15-17 hcp with South accepting their partner’s game invite. Which card do you lead?

Our “strongest” and even “joint longest” is clubs. Yet, South opened that suit. It is not normal to attack that suit unless you are particularly strong in it…and Q843 does not fall into that description. So, immediately, we find a reason to look elsewhere for our opening lead. Of the other three, diamonds looks the least appealing, especially when we have four cards in an unbid major.

A heart lead does not look initially like it will be an obvious winner but it looks the “best of a bad bunch.” So, that’s our choice…but one more question. Which heart do you lead? You could lead 4^th highest (2) or if you think that you do not have an honour in the suit, the textbook lead is the 7, second highest from four small hearts. If you think the choice cannot really make that much difference, take a look at all four hands:

 

At the table, West led 2. East knew their partner was leading 4^th highest, or perhaps low from three to an honour and put up their king at trick 1. An impossible contract had just been made. South won, and leaving clubs in reserve in case of bad news in the diamond department, played J. West ducked the first and second rounds of the suit. South could try playing unsuccessfully on clubs or else play a third round of diamonds with the J providing the entry to dummy to enjoy 4 diamond tricks along with 3 in the major suits and the top two clubs. That is what happened. West could have won the second round of diamonds had their partner shown an odd number of diamonds with their carding to the first round of the suit. This would have made South’s task even harder, had the K not been played at trick 1. 

East could not tell from the opening lead if their partner was leading away from the A. Had West led 7, the rule of 11 would have suggested to East that West was less likely to be leading 4^th highest (7 from 11= 4 cards in the North, East and South hands higher than the 7). West could have held AT87 though otherwise West either did not hold the ace or it could not benefit East to cover even if West did (say West held A87). It was much more likely that East would play K at trick 1 after the 2 than after 7 lead.

Had the K been withheld, the diamond suit is lost to declarer and with two certain losers in both black suits, the contract would fail.

An initial 9 lead from West should also beat the contract even if South wins the second round of the suit.  Any attempt at reaching dummy by South leading a low heart from hand would cost South five tricks (three spades, K and A).  However, assuming West leads a heart, the choice of the 2 or 7 becomes important in which card their partner plays at trick 1.

                         HONOURS ARE...

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So, is the 10 an honour? 10's can carry “honour” status, like in Rubber Bridge in awarding bonus points for good trumps. If an honour, it is not one we award any points to in the 4321 valuation of honours, worth less than the lowly jack. In that West has led from a 4-card suit, it might just help their partner sometimes to say that their suit was not that strong by leading 2^nd highest when the honour is the 10. One time that knowledge might be useful to partner is when they need to find a key switch. Another is the situation in the deal above.

On defence

 

Some defending to do for tomorrow. 1NT was 15-17 and 2 either a range-finder or a weak transfer to a minor suit. 3 was any maximum and the no trump game was reached.

You lead 6 to your partner’s K and declarer’s 2. Partner returns 9 to declarer’s 10 and your J. What now?

Richard Solomon

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