OPENING LEADS - Chapter 4
Now let me give you some more opening lead problems. This exercise will be done in four parts, two opening lead problems each time.
You are once more WEST
a) Dealer South, EW VUL
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1NT | Pass | 2 | Pass |
2 | Pass | 2NT | Pass |
| 3NT | Pass | Pass | Pass |
(1NT is 12-14)
Your hand:
 AQ2 |
 J973 |
| JT |
| 743 |
What would you lead?
b) Dealer South, Nil Vul
| South | West | North | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1NT | Pass | Pass | X |
| Pass | Pass | Pass |
(X is 15+)
Your hand:
| AQ2 |
| J973 |
| JT |
| 743 |
What do you lead?
Take a look at the hands. They are identical, and both opening leads are against a No Trump contract, so should there be any difference in the opening leads? One might think that the age old rule of ‘fourth highest of longest and strongest’ would be good enough for both situations. However, no situation is identical, that is the great thing about the game. Every situation requires thought, sometimes very little, sometimes a lot. So, let’s go through some thought processes given the bidding by your opponents in each case. Yes, I know, your opponents don’t know how to bid. But these problems involve opponents who DO know how to bid, let’s assume that. Sometimes their bidding may be a bit optimistic, but if you don’t believe it you won’t get into the right way of thinking when you come across any bridge problem, especially as it relates to the opening leads, which, I stress again, are a crucial part of the game.
What does the bidding tell you in the first problem? It tells you that North has enough high card points to invite game and South enough to accept the invitation, so say 11 HCP with North and 14 HCP with South. North has bid Stayman, so has at least one four card major. What could East have that might help the defence? The game has been bid on marginal values, so it is important that declarer’s weakness be located as soon as possible. Alternatively, the defence could play a passive game and try and give nothing away.
There is not much West can go on, but in view of South’s denial of a major, it seems sensible to attack one of the majors. Is the heart suit more likely to hit declarer’s weakness? It is not a great suit but there seems little option, or does there? But what if dummy does have a four card heart suit? The lead of a low one from a jack is not normally one I would recommend, for two reasons: it is unlikely to strike a weak spot immediately and it will almost certainly encourage a heart return from partner when in fact a switch to another (in this case spades) is needed. Should West consider the lead of the JACK of hearts, just to avoid a heart return unless partner has the AK, AQ, or KQ? That is a bit too far fetched, and there is another option that few would consider. It has been instilled in most players that the lead of the ace when you have AQx is not ever made. It is instinctive to hold the ace and queen to sit over the king if that happens to be in declarer’s hand. But what if that were indeed the case? Unless you then lead the queen and declarer has the KJ, only one trick will be lost in the greater scheme of things, and that is also why we have a signalling system which will tell you whether you have hit on the best lead.
If partner has Kxxx(x) you really have struck gold, but if partner has Jxxx(x) you have also struck gold but not quite as much. And if it turns out, after looking at dummy, that the heart suit is dummy’s weak suit, it will probably not be too late to switch to hearts.
Of course, unless you have an opening lead repertoire and agreement with partner that the lead of an ace against No Trumps specifically asks for ‘Attitude’ and can be made from some very specific holdings, e.g. AKx, AKxx, and AQx then the impact of such a lead will be lost. I have yet to have a hand that warrants the lead of the ace from AQx where partner, seeing dummy, does not know your exact holding in the suit. It makes for some very accurate defence following on from the opening lead. Now let me show you the hand again and look at it when the bidding has been quite different:
Your hand:
| AQ2 |
| J973 |
| JT |
| 743 |
The bidding, once more, has been meaningful, very meaningful. But it has told you quite a different story. What it has told you is that you have declarer in some degree of trouble. With your eight count and partner’s minimum 15, declarer will not be getting much help from dummy, in fact will likely need to create tricks from his own hand. There is no need to do anything unorthodox, and you should give away as few tricks as possible while creating tricks of your own. Given partner’s double, you can reasonably expect him to have some heart honours, KQx would be ideal though Axx might help declarer. But whatever the case, even if partner has the king of spades, your spade tricks will be there later, and if partner has e.g. the J10xx of spades and declarer the king...poor declarer.
Do you see the big difference in the two situations? A good way to look at it is: when declarer is playing in 1NT and the balance of power is even, when defending, if you visualise yourself, or partner, as being declarer, you will find your defence will win out. After all, if your defence defeats 1NT then you are also making 1NT your way. And what would you prefer with a balanced 20 combined HCP between you and partner? With a good and understanding partner, I would always prefer to defend, wouldn’t you? Apart from the fact that defending, when you know where most of the cards are, is much more interesting and fun.
