Wednesday Play at The Hutt (07)

In the next few issues I want to address OPENING LEADS. Did you know just how important the opening lead is? It is important because it begins the DEFENCE. When you are defending a contract, it is not very productive to simply play some random cards or take any aces you have. You must have a plan for the total defence.

Here are some things you need to think about if you are a defender:

There are THIRTEEN cards to be played. There are thirteen tricks, and you will take some of them but you do not always need to take them from the beginning. The important thing is how and when you take your tricks, and how your cards will combine with your partner’s to take your tricks.

You have a PARTNER when you are defending. It is therefore crucial that you have as much idea about what your partner is doing as possible, and that your partner also knows about your hand and what it is that you are trying to do.

You must also understand that your defence will depend on what the contract is, what level it is, and whether it is NO TRUMPS or a SUIT contract.

You may have been taught that you lead ‘fourth highest of longest and strongest’ but not the CONTEXT of it. Fourth highest may work in some situations but not others, or against a trump contract but not No Trumps or vice versa. Your plan must be based on more than that.

If you have only TWO cards in a suit (a DOUBLETON), it is most important that your partner KNOWS that you have only two, and you tell your partner that by leading the HIGHER of your two cards and not the lower. If you lead the lower, your partner might expect a SINGLETON, and because a singleton opening lead is often a good lead against a trump contract, your partner will get the defence wrong. If you have three cards, the normal procedure is to lead your lowest if you have an honour at the top, or ‘top of nothing’ when you have three small.

Much more about opening leads and defence in later issues, but at this stage I will show you the South hand and ask you to choose your opening lead in three different bidding situations.

AQT8
T62
T82
AT8

You are South and dealer and pass, so does West and North. East opens 1H. You pass and:
a) West bids 2H and all pass.
b) West bids 2H, East bids 3H and all pass.
c) West bids 2H, East 3H and West 4H.

Send me you answers and reasons WHY before I write the next issue.