The Bridge Table.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20898, 13 June 1931, Page 5 (Supplement)

The Bridge Table.

THE INITIAL LEAD. BY MAJOB TENACB. Tins week I am setting problems of a new typo dealing with tlio initial lead, Each hand presents a choice of leads and those who attempt solutions should make a note of the reasons for their choice and compare them with the reasons which will bo given next week. At love score Z bids one spado and all pass. What should A lead with each of the following hands: 1. S-Q, 5, 4; H —B; I)-K, J, 8, 5; C—K, 10, 9, 5, 2. 2. S-Q, 6, 3; lI—A, 8, 6, 4; D-K, 9, 3, 2; C—s, 2. 3. S—K, 9, 5, 2; H-10; D-Q, 7, 6, 2; C—K, 9, 8, 4. 4. S —7, 5; lI—A, Q. 5; D—9, 6, 4, 2; C-Q, 8, 3, 2. 5. S-J, 10, 3; H—K, 0, 5, 2; D A, Q, 6; C-K, 7, 4. 6. S—9, 7, 5, 2; H—A, K; D—lo, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2,; C-—4. Last week's problem was as follows: — S—B 6 3 H—7 6 4 D-A 9 6 5 3 C—9 2 Y A B Z S—A KJ 9 7 H-A 8 5 2 D—None C—A KQ J Z is making a spade contract and A leads the king of hearts; Y plays the four; B, the ten; and Z wins with the ace. How should Z now play? Solution: B's ten of hearts looks very much like a singleton and Z must try to avoid losing three tricks in the suit as well as one in trumps. Z can finesse against the queen of spades if dummy's ruff holds the third club round. But suppose A has queen and one other and B ten and two other spades. The trump finesse will fail, and dummy's last trump will be unavailing against B's ten to prevent the loss of a third heart trick. If Z has taken the precaution of throwing a losing heart under dummy's ace of A may, after making his winning hearts, lead a fourth club for B to ruff with the same result—loss of game. Z's best play is not to take the finesse. On winning the first trick he should lay down ace and king of trumps. If the queen falls on the second round he has the game before him with, five tricks in spades, one in hearts and four in clubs. But if the queen of spades is still outstanding he should lead three clubs. If A ruffs with the queen, then Z throws one of dummy's diamonds, keeping dummy's last trump to stop the hearts and make an entry for the ace of diamonds. If A follows suit to the third round of clubs then Z must ruff in. dummy. B may over-ruff with the queen but if he does he must now be void in spades, hearts and clubs and must retain a diamond to dummy's ace upon which Z will throw a losing heart. If B does not over-ruff then dummy will be in to lead the ace of diamonds and give Z the heart discard he requires. In either case Z keeps his losses down to two hearts and a trump and wins game.