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Opening Leads and Signals 06

EUREKA II

Let’s take another look at the “Eureka” moment and see where it has led to my somewhat left field thinking about defence and opening leads.

Dealer S All Vul

K943
7654
AKJ
97
JT8
AQ3
93
AQT42
765
KT92
754
653
AQ2
J8
QT862
KJ8

Opening Leads and Signals 05

EUREKA!!

Let me now relate a very special “Eureka” moment, one that revolutionised my way of thinking about what’s right and what isn’t when it comes to opening leads and defence. I was West in this very mundane deal in a match point session.

Dealer S All Vul

K9437
654
AKJ
97
JT8
AQ3
93
AQT42
765
KT92
754
653
AQ2
J8
QT862
KJ8

South opened 1NT. I passed. North bid 2C (Stayman) and South answered the question with 2D. North now bid 2NT and everyone passed.

Thursday Tips 04

Continuing with the theme “It’s better to underbid and overplay than to overbid and overplay”. This time it’s an easy to bid part score where many pairs were unable to stop where their cards told them they should. This deal comes from X-Clubs on Thursday 17/7/25

Board 16. Dealer W EW Vul

83
QT83
K42
JT32
AK94
KJ94
AJ3
98
QJ5
7
Q9865
KQ75
T762
A652
T7
A64

Thursday Tips 03

“It’s better to underbid and overplay than to overbid and overplay” has been a favourite adage of mine, but in fact it is best to bid accurately and play accurately, especially when it comes to slams. This board, from X-Clubs on Thursday 10/7/25 gave contestants every chance to bid, and make, an excellent 6H slam, but few did. I’m pleased to say that at our club, the only pair that bid 6H also made 6H, whereas those who conservatively underbid to 4H failed to make more than eleven tricks. I understand why they did if they were only in game, but there should be no excuse for failing to make the slam if you have bid well to get to it, which should not be difficult once North opens the bidding and South locates the heart fit.

Board 20. Dealer W All Vul

QJ75
K9652
A43
K
K32
J3
KQ72
J865
T9864
T84
JT5
73
A
AQ7
986
AQT942

Thursday Tips 02

“Fourth Highest from Longest and Strongest”. There is good reason for this ‘rule of thumb’ for making an opening lead against a No Trump contract. Board 16 from Thursday 3/7/5 at X-Clubs gives us a wonderful example.

Board 16. Dealer W EW Vul

4
JT4
KT843
AT98
AT96
Q853
QJ
J63
KJ75
K962
52
K72
Q832
A7
A976
Q54

Basic Opening Leads and Signals 03

Rules. What rules? This deal comes from play at X-Clubs on Tuesday 1/7/25

Board 2. Dealer E NS Vul

98
93
KT987532
3
5
AK65
QJ64
K864
KJT6
J742
A
QJT5
AQ7432
QT8
A972

Basic Opening Leads and Signals 02

Now that I have given a basic summary of opening leads, we need to look a bit further and introduce some important and very useful additions and variations:

Basic Opening Leads and Signals 01

Good defence requires good players and a good communication system.

Thursday Tips 01

Vil is starting a new series to be emailed to Hutt's Thursday players (but I'm sure he wouldn't say "no" to including you if you sent him your email address to villyn@xtra.co.nz). He's billing it as Thursday Tips. Here's the first installment

Board 4 from last Thursday is a good example of when you need STAYMAN, and not only that - but when you need Stayman at its most effective, and that is, when you can use it without restriction on point count, from zero to 20!

The Guessing Game 10

This second board at X-Clubs is even more basic than the first, yet few Wests, as declarers in 4S, managed to arrive at eleven tricks. This should have been a near universal 4S contract for EW, and competent declarer play should have resulted in eleven tricks. But no, even when North made the very favourable opening lead of the diamond seven.

Board 5 from Tuesday 3/06/2025
Dealer N NS Vul

92
T76532
72
T75
AQ643
9
AQ543
K4
K85
KQ
86
QJ9632
JT7
AJ84
KJT9
A8

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