You did not comment on East’s pitch rather than ruff at trick #2. One imagines that there must be an obvious reason…but it eludes me. With two apparently worthless trumps and an easy lead, I would ruff and lead back the Heart Q. It is hard for me to see how declarer comes to 10 tricks thereafter. Must lose 2 D, 1S and either a H or a C??

Hi Bruce,

It doesn’t surprise me at all that you are correct. We took this hand from the Al Roth collection, popularized many years ago, which quite often appeared in the highly acclaimed American Bridge World magazine.

Because of your due diligence it becomes easy to see what happened. Declarer, in order to establish the timing to arrive at a successful ending needed to duck a diamond, and immediately passed over (perhaps conveniently), the possibility of East ruffing the second one. Obviously it usually doesn’t help the defense to ruff partner’s trick, but this time the timing for the important ending at the death is destroyed by the second trick ruff.

If anyone else asks we’ll merely tell him that East thought West decided to continue the queen of diamonds, holding the Ace as well as the King and Queen. I will go on to say that even though East is responsible for letting the hand through, there is still an instructive point involved with South’s spendid declarer’s play. It seems to happen often, and in all kinds of competitions, where a brilliancy happens after some mistake was made, leading up to it.

Thanks, as always, for keeping the bridge straight.

Thank you. Is this situation one of the reasons we now lead A from an AK or AKQ sequence normally??

No one can doubt the elegance of Roth’s play; about the same numer that would find it at the table!!!

Hi Bruce,

The primary reason for those who lead the A from AK (or AKQ) is to then restrict the K lead to KQ, allowing partner to signal positively holding the J.

I’ve always preferred leading the K from AK (as well as KQ) so that my partner will know my lead of the Ace usually denies the King (except against a suit contract with AK doubleton). If I ever changed horses, I would then probably never choose to lead an unsupported Ace hoping to find partner with the King and usually to be able to ruff the 3rd lead of the suit. Perhaps that specific loss is not a real loss at all. Charge it up to me being a very old dog who chooses not to learn new tricks.

Obviously it is close as to what is best since the expert community, at least in my judgment, is pretty well split down the middle in their choice.

Back to the subject hand and IMO top players would likely find Roth’s line since the counting of hands is the expert’s calling card and once the preemptor turns up with the long trumps, it will serve as a wake-up call to the winning line.