CONTRACT BRIDGE Opening lead options in national trials

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33819, 16 April 1975, Page 10

CONTRACT BRIDGE Opening lead options in national trials

(By

J.R.W.)

During the New Zealand contract bridge trials over the Easter week-end any number of interesting hands arose, some of the most interesting featuring the problem of the opening lead. Since in this form of i competition, overtricks are of no importance it is possible, in fact, desirable, to [take a few risks in the hope [of defeating the contract, i Remembering this what would you lead from the 'West hand below?:— N A 752 SK4 ♦ K 52 A AQ762 W E ♦ KJ A 864 VAIO 9 5 VQJB73 ♦ A 8743 <lO6 A J 10 A 953 S AAQIO93 V 62 ♦ QJ9 *KB4 I WN E S !♦ 2A No 2A No 3 A No 4 A After opening the bidding, >West heard his vulnerable ; opponents call a confident game, and had to find a lead. He could expect to make his two red aces and one, possibly two, tricks in spades. But this second trick in trumps was not at all sure, so West looked for a more reliable way to beat the icontract.

I He led the ace of dialmonds, his partner following suit with the 10, and con- . tinued with a second round of diamonds, East dropping the six East’s sequence of plays, an “echo” or “peter,” conventionally encourages his partner to continue that suit, here obviously because he Cv >id trump the third J round. The declarer won the ( second diamond in hand to I play the ace and another (spade, leaving West on play. ■A third round of diamonds | was ruffed by East and the ace of hearts put the con- ■ tract one down. How did West know his partner had a third spade? Because on the first and second rounds of the suit he had played the six and the four, a “trump echo” showing another trump and a desire to ruff something. 7RONG VIEW A New Zealand international went sadly astray on | the next deal when a fellow I representative found an irnag- | in .five opening lead:— N A A 42 V A 643 ♦ AQJIO7 *9 W E A 10 98 7 6 A 5 VQIO 5 VKJ72 ♦ 4 AK9652 AKJ64 AQIO7 S AKQJ3 V9B ♦ 83 A A8532 There was nothing wrong with the final three notrumps contract, though the bidding may not meet with everyone’s approval:— W N E S (No JO No 1A No 2V No 3NT Well, which card would you lead from the West (hind? ■ To the actual West player J the bidding had been far too ‘iconfident and he doubted that '(a lead of the 'unbid suit, (clubs, would prove lethal. (Nor did he see any point in (attacking spades, the suit ■ called on his right. His actual choice, the 10 1 of hearts, may not meet with 1 unlv sal acclaim but it had ■ a dramatic effect. ! Caught a little off balance, I South played low from idummy, allowing East to win I (with the king of hearts. The > (declarer’s goose was now ’(cooked. East switched to the ■(queen of clubs. It made no I difference but South could > I have made the defence (harder by holding up his ace. ) In fact, he took the queen II of clubs, and led a diamond i to dummy’s ten. East won I the second trick for the defence with the king of : diamonds, cashed the 10 of i clubs and led another to his : partner’s jack. The king of I clubs put the contract one ’ down. The consensus of opinion i afterwards was that the deI clarer had misplayed the hand. All he had to do was

tu win the first trick with the ace of hearts and attack diamonds by leading the ace then the queen* Uffimately he would make three tricks in diamonds, four in spades and the aces of hearts and clubs for his contract. Meantime the defenders could take three tricks in hearts and one in diamonds but that would be all As has often been said before, it is much easier to play well when -you can see al! four hands.