This one comes from Tuesday's X-Clubs set. The opening lead was obvious but the play did not go according to how it should have. When you are leading your partner’s suit and have three small cards, e.g. 753, which card do you lead? Do you have an agreement with partner? I think most of us would lead the top card, some may have a “MUD” ( middle-up-down) agreement and I do know that some experts lead the lowest card to ‘give partner a count’. You decide what’s best after reading this article.
Board 16 from Tuesday 16/07/24
Dealer West EW Vul
This was the scenario at one table. North opened 1C and East overcalled 1S. EW were playing weak jumps and East felt he was too good for a weak 2S and not good enough for 3S. NS were playing weak jump responses, so South jumped to 3H. West bid 3S. Rightly or wrongly, North now bid 4H and East was propelled by the momentum into bidding 4S, a disaster awaiting. Fortunately for East, no double and South led the inevitable singleton club. Declarer played low from dummy and North the nine. Declarer produced the eight, a cunning false card that should have fooled nobody. North then also tried a cunning play and switched to the seven of hearts! Declarer followed with his singleton king, surprised when South played low! Ace and another spade followed and South was in, with no second club to lead. The heart to North’s ace was ruffed and declarer proceeded to run the spades and squeeze North and make a third diamond in the end play, somehow ending up with ten tricks, as advertised.
The moral of the story: make sure you have a proper system of opening leads, and that should include knowing that the lead of a two is a singleton and not from 642 or 62!
K
A7
J742
AQJT95