Basic Opening Leads and Signals 01
Good defence requires good players and a good communication system.
Defence is based on an understanding between partners as to what is going on and how the defensive partnership can get the best out of the defence. There are two crucial elements to this: the OPENING LEAD and SIGNALLING. The opening lead should be based on an analysis of all the information the opening leader has available so that the best suit is led as well as the best card in the suit. It is no just a matter of rote learning, things like ‘top of touching cards’, ‘fourth highest of longest and strongest’, ‘top of a doubleton’, ‘highest in partner’s suit’ are mere guidelines. The opening lead also needs to be based on an anticipation of how the play might go. As well as making the best opening lead, the defenders must be able to communicate by way of signalling in such a way as to best execute the plan set by the opening leader, or change the plan if there is a better one. Signalling is vital in this.
But let’s just start with a basic system of leads given certain holdings in the suit you choose to lead. Before we do that let me emphasise that the opening leads against NO TRUMPS need to be different to the opening leads when declarer will have a TRUMP suit. Trumps give declarer the advantage that a trump suit should give them, but as with most things in life and bridge, that advantage can also be a disadvantage if the defenders can use it to help the defence; which is why signalling is such an essential part of defence. I hope that by the time you and your partner have read this series of articles, your combined efforts when defending will be such that you will have no fear of having to defend, in fact you will be looking forward to it when opponents have had the skills, or temerity, to outbid you in the auction.
Which CARD to lead? Let’s start at the top, where we have the all powerful ACE. In general, it is not a good idea to lead an ‘unsupported’ ace on the opening lead. But as you will learn later there is a time and a place for everything. There is no such thing as a ‘bad lead’, but always strive to make the ‘best lead’. When is the opening lead of an ace a good idea? A SUPPORTED ace is usually a stand out opening lead. By supported, I mean supported by the KING. To quote a well known U.S. International: “God didn’t deal you the ace and king in the same suit for you to lead any other suit”. The implication is that you lead the ace or king, whichever your agreed lead from AK is; though against NO TRUMPS it may be better, depending on what you know, or may have guessed, to lead the fourth highest if you have four or more in the suit. But against a suit contract, the AK in a side suit are a powerful combination and leading the ace (if that is your agreement if holding both the ace and king) will tell your partner that you also have the king, and at the same time, will ask partner to TELL you what to do next. That is where signalling is necessary.
An UNSUPPORTED ace e.g. the ace from AJxx, is usually a poor lead, because ‘aces are for taking kings and queens’ and who but declarer is most likely to have them? Better to save your ace for when it will do a better job. But there are times when the ‘unsupported’ ace may be a good lead. If you have a lot of cards in the suit, you might lead the ace and hope that partner has a singleton and will ruff the second one, or may even have a doubleton and will be able to ruff the third round. But for that you will need a) a signal from partner and b) an ENTRY to your hand before partner’s trumps are drawn. You are not always so lucky, but if you hold Axxxx in a side suit and Ax in trumps, that is when starting with ace and another in your long suit can be a very good idea.
In general, the ace lead will also promise the king, and ask partner to SIGNAL and tell you where to go next. A for ACE and A for “ATTITUDE” and that goes for whether it is against a suit contract or No Trumps. We’ll talk in more detail about that later, with some cases from actual play.
The KING. An opening lead of the king should be supported by the QUEEN, because it will establish the queen as a trick once the ace has taken the king. The lead of an unsupported king is a terrible lead, though in desperate situations you might consider leading the king when you have a DOUBLETON and only in a trump contract, when you have hopes for a ruff. That usually turns to custard and such Kami Kaze stuff I would not recommend.
The lead of the QUEEN, following the same logic, should guarantee the JACK in support, as well as the ten ideally, or the NINE as extra protection. From e.g. QJxx it is much of a muchness whether you lead the queen or your fourth highest. The lead of the queen will usually announce the possession of the jack and leave it in a finessible position, whereas the low card may give declarer a possibility to go wrong at trick one.
The lead of the JACK should promise the ten if from length, and should also be supported by the nine or eight, but from J10xx you can take your pick, the jack or fourth highest. As a rule, I don’t recommend the lead of a low card from a suit like Jxxx or Jxx.
Which card to lead when you have no honour cards? The usual question arises when you have three ‘pip’ cards, e.g. 863. Which card to lead? My usual answer is ‘pick another suit’. But if I have persuaded myself to lead the suit, I personally prefer to lead the eight, ‘top of nothing’, though some experts favour ‘MUD’ and recommend starting with the middle card (Middle-Up-Down).
