Leads, Signals and Discards Chapter 1

25 WAYS TO BE A BETTER DEFENDER

Seagram and Bird

Leads, Signals and Discards—Chapter 1

Which Card to Lead Against Notrump?

Top of a perfect sequence of 3 or more honours
Top of a broken sequence of 3 or more honours; QJ9; AKJ
Top of touching honours in an interior sequence; KJ10; Q109
4th best from 4 or more containing at least one honour (not a sequence of 3); K872; QJ643
Bottom card from holding of 3 cards containing one honour or two non-touching honours; Q85; KJ3
Top of touching honours in 3-card holding with 2 honours; KQ4; J105
Top card of a doubleton

Which Card to Lead From Three or Four Small?

Top of nothing from 3 small; 852 and partner knows you are leading from weakness
Second-best card from 4 small; 9762; with lead of 7, you may get a trick with the 9

How About Leading in a Suit Contract?

From KQ852, lead top of touching honours and not 4th best

How About Leading in the Middle of the Deal?

Lead the K from AKx in the middle of the deal
You will still be able to lead an unsupported ace if you choose to do so without also promising the king

Give Count When Opponents Lead

Inasmuch as possible

Third-Hand Play—Chapter 2

What If Dummy Has a High Card in the Suit Led?

In 3rd seat, when your top card can beat dummy’s honour, insert your 2nd-highest card when it is the 9 or higher and dummy plays low

What if You Have Two Cards of Equal Rank?

Partner leads a low card and you have QJ5, play the jack, the lower of 2 touching cards

When Not to Play Third Hand High

In a suit contract, partner leads the J (from J105) and dummy has 943. You have K862 with declarer holding AQ7. Since partner would not make such a lead from AJ10, you can place declarer with the ace and the queen. So, do NOT play the king and instead encourage with the 8
In a suit contract, partner leads the 2 from K852 and dummy has A107. You have J63 with declarer holding Q94. Do NOT play the J which will be overtaken by declarer’s Q as it sets up the 10 in dummy. Play low and yes, it hurts that dummy’s 7 takes the trick. (You know that partner does not have KQ52 or she would have led the K. Note: in a notrump contract, you may well play the J as partner may well have led from KQ52.
In a suit contract, if you have only one honour and can tell from partner’s lead that she does not have any honours, 3rd hand should play low. Partner led top of nothing and if you give up your honour, you set declarer up to throw losing cards on the suit which has now been set up. This is very important and often produces the setting trick!

Recap

1.When partner leads a spot card and dummy has no honour in the suit, it is usually right to play high in 3rd seat.

(Your card may be beaten but you may be promoting one or more cards in your partner’s hand.)

2.When partner leads a high spot card, denying an honour, and you hold only one honour in the suit (not the ace),

it will often be wrong to play this card.

3.When partner leads a low card and dummy has an honour in the suit, it is often right for you to retain a higher honour and play your 2nd-highest card. (This assumes that the honour was not played from dummy.

Opening Leads Against a Notrump Contract—Chapter 3

While leading 4th highest from your longest and strongest is often a good lead, you should have good intermediate cards in the suit: KJ82 or K1074 but not J643
Leading from a sequence, such as QJ105, is good since you have an excellent chance of establishing tricks for the defense and there is relatively little risk of giving declarer an extra trick.
Lead the 3 from Q1083 rather than the 2 from K762 because you have stronger intermediate cards in the 1st example.
If two 4-card suits are equal, lead the major rather than the minor if there are no other considerations.

Better Defender—Page 2

When opponents have bid both your 4-card suits en route to 3NT, lead something else such as top of nothing from 3 small cards
If your hand is very weak, try to find partner’s long suit as there really isn’t sense in leading 4th highest from 98652.
If partner has bid a suit, particularly when she has overcalled, you should normally lead that suit Partner may have bid specifically to suggest a lead to you.
Against 6NT, make a passive lead; e.g., top of nothing from 3 small. Do NOT lead a suit in which you have an honour.

Second-Hand Play—Chapter 4

Generally, second hand will play low. Do NOT rise with the ace only to capture the 2, 3 and 4. You want a bigger fish in your net. Even if you are sure that declarer has a singleton, do not rise with the ace as you will usually give her a place to discard losers later on.
Yes, do rise with the ace if doing so will defeat the contract.
If declarer leads a 2 and you are sure from the bidding that she holds the ace, you might rise with the king so that the queen in dummy does not take the trick.
Playing low in 2nd seat often makes declarer take a guess; play low smoothly, without hesitation.
Should you split your honours? If so, most play the higher one of touching honours.

1. If declarer leads the 2 and you have QJ5 with A104 over you in the dummy, you should play the Q or else declarer will score 4 diamond tricks.

2.If dummy has 742 and declarer leads from dummy toward his hand (which has AK9853), it would be a mistake to split your honours when you hold QJ6. Recap: when declarer leads towards her hand and there is no high honour in dummy, it can be a mistake to split your honours.

3.If declarer holds AK1083 and intends to finesse on the first round (you have QJ6), there is nothing you can do about it anyway. If, instead, she holds AK10xxx, she probably has no intention of finessing so don’t make her change her mind by splitting your honours.

What if a singleton is led from dummy? It is often better to play low, smoothly, rather than rise with your ace as you usually end up setting up tricks for declarer later in the play. Rise with the ace only when you think that this may beat the contract.

Opening Leads Against a Suit Contract—Chapter 5

When Should You Lead a Short Suit?

A singleton is usually a promising lead, particularly if it is a spot card in an unbid suit. This is especially so against a high-level contract such as a small slam. But if opponents have bid the suit, you are less likely to find partner with the ace. (If you hold an outside ace, it is unreasonable to think that partner may also have an ace while the opponents are in a small slam.
Leading a doubleton is less likely to result in a ruff for the defense. Be particularly reluctant to lead a doubleton honour. Leading from Kx is usually a very bad idea. Leading from any doubleton honour is usually a very bad idea unless your partner bid the suit.
Do not lead a short suit if your potential ruff would be with a natural trump trick (QJ10, for example).

When Should You Make An Attacking Lead?

When you suspect a healthy side suit in dummy, make an attacking lead in an unbid side suit.
KQJx is the most promising attacking lead. Next best is a holding containing 2 honours, such as KQxx or KJxx. A holding such as Q10xx represents a better lead than Q9xx or Q8xx
An opening lead of an unprotected ace is fine when the contract is at the 5 level and the opponents bypassed 3NT to arrive there. With hearts unbid, lead of the ace is fine.

When Should You Lead a Trump?

Lead a trump when responder has given preference to opener’s 2nd suit. It’s quite possible that responder has only one card in opener’s first-bid suit so leading trump reduces possible multiple ruffs.
Your partner has passed your takeout double converting it to a penalty double. Your partner will have a long, semi-solid trump holding so lead trump to begin drawing declarer’s trump.
You and your partner have the great majority of points and opponents have sacrificed against a high-level contract. They are obviously relying on ruffing values so reduce these by leading a trump.

Better Defender—Page 3

Leading Against a Slam in a Suit

Passive leads are okay against 6NT but an attacking lead is required against 6 of a suit. Try to set up a 2nd trick for defense before declarer can establish any discards.

Active or Passive Defense?—Chapter 6

In general do not rush to break a new suit. Making the first lead in a suit costs around half a trick, on average. Instead make a safe play in a suit where declarer holds all the top cards. Wait for declarer to break a new suit.
Active defense is where you break a new suit in an attempt to score tricks or to set them up.

Passive defense is where you refrain from leading a new suit. Instead, you play a suit where declarer has all the top cards, leaving the play of the other suits to her.
When defending a suit contract, you may have to defend actively when there is a strong side suit and declarer is threatening to set up some discards.

Lead the Right Card in the Middle of the Play—Chapter 7

In the middle of a hand, lead the same card (generally) that you would have done when making an opening lead. Top of touching honours, 4th best from other honour holdings, etc. Lead of a high spot card suggests that you hold no honour in the suit.
When you are leading through a K, or may be doing so, it can pay to lead high from Qxx or Jxx. The intention is to hold the lead if the king is withheld.
When declarer could have a guess to make in the suit, lead a card that will not give away your holdings. In particular, lead low from an ace when partner may be able to win the trick with the queen.

Leading an Honour when Tricks Have to be Taken Quickly

When you are going to switch to a suit where your holdings are something like: J52 or Q973, you will normally lead a low spot card (4th best from 4 or more/3rd best from 3). When partner takes the trick, it might not be convenient to lead the suit back to you when the king is sitting in dummy.
When you get the lead and see that leading the Q of a side suit from your hand might capture the king from declarer and the ace from your partner (dummy has just 3 low cards in this side suit), this might be the killing lead to set the contract. Partner may have the AJ10x. So, when you see that declarer is likely going to make the contract by setting up a different side suit, do not be passive and instead lead your honour. You would lead your Q from Q872 or from Q102.

Lead the Card That Will Give Declarer a Guess

If you hold A843 of a side suit, do NOT lead the ace but rather lead a low card and force declarer to guess. With 2 small cards in dummy, declarer will have to play either her J or her K and meanwhile, your partner has the Q should declarer favour the jack.

Should You Cover An Honour Lead?—Chapter 8

Cover When You Might Promote a Trick

The old adage of cover an honour with an honour is wrong more often than not. Cover only when you might promote a trick for the defense.
Look at what’s in dummy and try to figure out if you can promote an honour in partner’s hand by covering.

Don’t Cover When the Lead is From Touching Honours

Do NOT cover when the lead is from touching honours in the dummy.
Harder to see is when the lead is from touching honours in declarer’s hand. Declarer leads the queen and the ace is visible in dummy. You have the king but it would be wrong to cover. If declarer had only the queen (without the jack), she would lead from dummy towards the queen and hope to make the finesse.
If you hold K10x, you can afford to cover the queen led from the closed hand as your 10 will take a trick after the jack is led.
When you hold a doubleton honour, like Kx, it is usually best to cover the queen led from dummy. It’s possible that by covering, you will promote a trick in partner’s hand. Note: it is not always right to cover in this situation.

Don’t Cover When You Will Save Declarer a Guess

If declarer is in a small slam and needs to make a finesse in one suit to bring it home, be wary of covering an honour with an honour. J4 in dummy and declarer leads the J. You have the queen but decline to cover (and you need to do so very smoothly!!!) and so declarer will go up with the king thinking that you have the ace. Fortunately, partner has the ace. Down one. Look ahead the moment that dummy goes down so that you know what you are going to do and can do so smoothly.

Better Defender—Page 4

Opponents have 9 trump and declarer will hope for a 2-2 trump split. When the J is led from dummy and you have 3 to the queen, do NOT cover and declarer will likely go up with the ace and follow that play with the king. You will make your queen by not covering.

Don’t Cover When the Finesse Cannot Be Repeated

Dummy has A2. When declarer leads the Q from her hand and you have 3 to the king, do NOT cover as the finesse cannot be repeated without your winning the king. Declarer wins the trick with the queen and this time the ace has to be played on whatever declarer leads, leaving your king to win a trick later on.

Scoring Ruffs on Defense—Chapter 9

Is the Opening lead from a Singleton or a Doubleton?

Partner leads a 9 in a side suit. You have A874. Should you play the ace? If you feel that it’s a singleton, yes, play the ace. However, if it’s a doubleton, it might be wiser to hold up until partner gets in and can lead the suit again—after which you can return it for the ruff. If you are in doubt as to whether it’s a singleton or doubleton, play the ace as declarer may be able to draw trumps anyway disallowing partner a ruff.

How Can You show Partner Your Entry for Another Ruff?

Partner leads a singleton and you play the ace to win the trick. Return a card that will tell partner which suit to lead you after her ruff so that you can give her another ruff. A high spot card to ask for the higher remaining side suit or a low spot card to ask for the lower remaining side suit. No preference? Lead a middle card.

Can You Signal in the Trump Suit?

A high-low signal in the trump suit is called a “trump echo” and shows 3 cards in the suit (not an even number as it would in a side suit). It also tells partner that you can ruff one of the side suits.

Ruffing to Kill Declarer’s Winner

You lead from AKQ74 in a side suit. Dummy has J1062. Partner shows a doubleton by playing the 9 and then the 2. Declarer also has a doubleton. In leading the 3rd heart, do NOT lead the queen which will eventually give declarer a discard but instead lead low and keep your queen over dummy’s J and 10. Partner will ruff and declarer may well overruff. Don’t worry about declarer overruffing. You have just destroyed a potential trick in this side suit in dummy.

Can You Tell From the Bidding That Partner Has a Ruff Coming?

If the opponents bid 2 suits such as spades and diamonds but end up in a 4S contract, chances are that they have 8 diamonds between them. You have 4 including the ace. Lead the ace. After winning, lead a suit preference card so that your partner can ruff and then lead that suit back into your hand. You will then give your partner another ruff.

Preserving Defensive Communications—Chapter 10

Example Hand Where You Need to Maintain Contact with Partner

K10852A73

J94

Contract is 3NT (after 1NT, 3NT bidding). West leads 5. East wins with the ace and returns the 7. If West goes up with the king and returns a spade, Eest will now be out of spades and unable to lead them when she gets the lead in another suit. So, instead of the king, West should play the 2 on the second trick which will give her a chance to take a total of 4 tricks in this suit when she gets in with the king in another suit.

Second Example Hand

K10852AJ74

Same 3NT contract. Same lead of the 5 by West. East wins with the ace and returns a spade. Declarer plays the Q and now West covers with the K. How do you know what to do? Partner should tell you:

With a doubleton remaining, return the top card (the 7 from an original A-7-4)