October Problem

	Q 5 A 10 9 3 2 8 4 10 6 3 2
E-W Vul	A K 7 4 3 2 6 Q 5 A Q 8 4

West 2 Pass All Pass

North Pass 3

East Pass Pass Pass

South 1 2 4

You play 4 after West overcalled in Diamonds. West leads the four of hearts. Plan the play

As is our custom, the free play will go to the correct answer from the player with the fewest masterpoints. “Correct” is a relative term; just saying “I lead X,” even if X is the winning play, will probably not qualify unless nobody else finds the play. You need to furnish some justification for your play. (On the other hand, a briefly or poorly stated but correct justification will fully qualify, if I can figure it out. This is not an essay contest.) I am the sole judge of what constitutes “correct.” Send answers to JohnCTorrey@aol.com.

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September Answer

28.	5 A Q 7 5 A 7 3 K J 10 8 4
A J 10 8 7 4 K 4 2 9 5 6 3		K Q 2 6 3 J 8 6 2 A 9 7 2
N-S Vul	9 6 3 J 10 9 8 K Q 10 4 Q 5

West 2 Pass Pass

North Dbl Pass 5

East 3 4 Dbl

South 4 Pass All Pass

South plays 5 . West leads the A; East plays the king.

I was disappointed that so few of the responders to the September teaser had anything to say. "Partner asked for a diamond, so I lead a diamond," was a typical response. I acknowledge that standard carding calls for a suit-preference signal when the leader starts with a winner and the dummy has a singleton. On this hand, though, the only successful defense is to continue spades. When partner wins her ace of clubs, a third spade shortens dummy's hearts enough that your king will cannot be captured. (I did not make this hand up; it was computer-dealt and played at the Raleigh Bridge Club about two years ago.)

So perhaps the question is not, "What should West lead at trick 2?" but "Can we beat this hand playing standard methods?" It's not easy, but I think so. First of all, East has only three options: Spade king, queen, or three. The dummy's clubs are very unattractive to switch to (and club winners are unlikely to be discardable on diamonds), to the point where the three probably really means "I don't have anything good in diamonds." Perhaps that should have been partner's card. But if we accept the old suggestion that we should not signal with tricks, the king should claim the queen. If partner actually has the king and queen, the card to demand a diamond switch is the queen, which carries no excess baggage in the spade suit. If partner actually held the K93 of spades, she would have to try the three and hope you got it right. If partner has the K43 and the king of diamonds and ace of clubs, the problem is really difficult, but I think I'd rather try the four than the king. It's all complicated by the fact that partner should signal for a diamond when holding the queen but not the king - so that you will know to lead away from your hypothetical king.

Perhaps it is time for me to admit that I am not a fan of the standard carding in this situation. (I tell partners, “I don’t play suit preference at trick one.”) I have seen many situations in which it is right for the defense to continue its original suit, despite that dummy singleton, and many more as declarer when the suit preference induced my opponents to open a vital side suit to my advantage. Consider this layout:

	Q 8 6 4 5 K 7 4 A 10 8 6 4
5 A J 8 7 3 Q 9 8 2 Q 7 5		J 9 3 K Q 9 6 A 10 6 3 K 2
None Vul	A K 10 7 2 10 4 2 J 5 J 9 3

West Dbl All Pass

North Pass 4

East 1 Dbl

South 1 4

South plays 4 . West leads the A.

Any shift makes the contract easy; continuing makes it difficult indeed.

I would be interested to see example hands from actual play in which suit preference either saved the day or did not. I’ve seen a number of bridge columns in which West “brilliantly ignored partner’s suit preference signal.” to beat a contract. Here’s one from Richard Pavlicek:

Two Florida ladies put together a tremendous score -- 78 percent -- in the continent-wide International Fund Game on May 12. Helen Shanbrom and Julia Carswell played at the Palm Beach Bridge Studio, a popular club owned and operated by Daniel Cohen.

Winning is nothing new to Shanbrom, arguably the most successful club player of all time. Her partner has not been playing bridge that long; but she learns fast and has become a sound, reliable player. Carswell has posted a number of wins already.

The diagrammed deal shows the ladies in action, stampeding their opponents to the five level. Shanbrom, West, opened routinely with 1 and Carswell, East, chose a single raise because her hand contained doubtful values -- good judgment in my opinion. (North's decision to overcall and South's 4 bid are not clearly understood, perhaps for the best.)

	J 4 2 A J 7 6 3 2 J 6 3 2
A 8 7 6 5 Q 10 K 9 A 10 8 7		Q 10 3 8 5 Q 8 6 K Q J 5 4
None Vul	K 9 K 9 4 A 10 7 5 4 3 2 9

Shanbrom West 1 4 Dbl

North 2 Pass All Pass

Carswell East 2 Pass

South 4 5

5 x by North

Trick 1. E 2. E 3. S 4. S 5. N 6. W

Lead K Q! A 2 J? A

2nd 9 4 9 K Q

3rd 7 8 J 2 K

4th 2 3 6 8 A

Down 2 — EW +300 — NS 0%

Shanbrom's push to 4 is best explained as "It was my turn," but this is the kind of aggressive tactic that a clever player senses to be right at the table. Sure enough, South took the bait and pushed to 5 (actually, North is more the culprit here for the frivolous overcall). Opportunity needs knock only once for Shanbrom, and she wielded the ax.

Watch the defense! Carswell led the K and Shanbrom followed with the seven -- a wisely chosen card to de-emphasize the desirability of a spade switch. (The partnership, as do most defenders, indicate suit preference when the dummy has a singleton in the suit led.) Shanbrom figured that her partner would routinely lead a spade if she held Q-J, but in the actual layout a spade shift would be costly.

How many East defenders do you think would come through? This one did! Carswell found the killing play of another club, and declarer actually went down two when he misplayed spades later. If Carswell leads any other suit at trick two, declarer can make the contract by establishing the diamonds.